COVID-19 vaccine: WHO criticizes EU control on vaccine exports

The World Health Organization (WHO) criticized the EU’s announcement to control the export of vaccines produced within the EU as a risk of prolonging the new coronavirus infection pandemic (Corona 19).

The European Union has implemented these measures amid a dispute with manufacturers due to the lack of procurement of vaccines.

However, WHO Undersecretary General Mariangela Shimao said this is “a very worrying trend.”

Earlier, WHO Secretary-General Tedros Adhanom Gebreyesus said “vaccine nationalism” could lead to “delayed recovery.”

At the Davos Agenda meeting, he said that the purchase of vaccines could “sustain the pandemic and delay the recovery of the world economy.”

The European Union introduces export controls for coronavirus vaccines produced in Europe.

This measure, the so-called transparency mechanism, gives EU member states the power to refuse export approval if vaccine manufacturers do not comply with existing agreements with the European Union.

The European Commission said: “The protection and safety of our citizens is our highest priority, and the challenges we now face have forced us to take these measures.”

Export control measures affect more than 100 countries around the world, including Korea, the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. However, other countries, including the least developed countries, are an exception.

However, the EU had to withdraw its control plan for the export of vaccines across the Irish border to Great Britain due to the reaction of Ireland and Great Britain.

The European Union argues that export control is a temporary measure and not an export ban.

The EU’s export control measures were carried out amid an open dispute with vaccine maker AstraZeneca over a supply problem in the EU, which is under pressure due to slow distribution of the vaccine.

On the 29th, the European Commission revealed the details of a secret agreement with AstraZeneca, which developed the Oxford vaccine. This was to emphasize that AstraZeneca was not adequately complying with the content of the contract for the supply of vaccines to the European Union.

The contract states that AstraZeneca will make “the best reasonable efforts” in the production and distribution of the vaccine.

AstraZeneca said the supply was delayed due to problems that arose at production plants in the Netherlands and Belgium and the late signing of contracts.

The EU measure requires vaccine manufacturers to obtain licenses before supplying vaccines to countries outside the EU. The 27 member states of the European Union will review export applications.

Vaccines produced by Pfizer in Belgium are now exported to the UK, and the European Union claims that some of the AstraZeneca vaccines produced in England are included in the supply contract for EU citizens.

The European Union also faces supply disputes with Pfizer. Pfizer is not expected to reach the volume of vaccines it plans to supply to Europe by the end of March. Pfizer said it was caused by an urgent expansion of production facilities in Belgium.

The European Union has made several exceptions to its export control measures. Exceptions include vaccines donated to Kovacs, a project aimed at helping underdeveloped countries distribute vaccines, export them to Switzerland and the Western Balkans, Norway and North Africa, and to Mediterranean countries such as Lebanon and Israel.

But WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris told the BBC on the 30th that the vaccine should first be distributed to vulnerable populations and health workers around the world.

This means that advanced countries, including the UK, must stop vaccination in their own country and help other countries get vaccinated once vaccination targets have been met.

To date, 95% of all vaccinations have been done in just 10 countries, and only two of the least developed and developed countries have started vaccination, Harris said.