With the goal of delivering the COVID-19 vaccines, SAM questions the president’s goal of vaccinating 70 percent by mid-summer. population

President Gitan Nausėda emphasized that even 80% of AstraZeneca’s goal was achieved. After reducing the planned quantities of vaccine for Lithuania in the first quarter, A. Šuksta says that it will all depend on further negotiations with the manufacturers.

“Today, if vaccines are delivered regularly, in the required quantities, 66 vaccination centers are ready to vaccinate all individuals according to the established goal. But we are completely dependent on the manufacturer. We believe that politicians from all countries will unite and resolve this situation with the producer at all levels (…). As the Chancellor of the Ministry also mentioned, it would be very daring to say that according to the figures available today, we could achieve the stated objectives, ”said a representative of Minister Arūnas Dulkis on BNS on Sunday.

On Friday, following a European Council meeting in which EU leaders discussed vaccines, AstraZeneca announced that its production of coronavirus vaccines in Europe would be “lower than initially expected” due to decreased capacity for production. This has caused outrage among EU countries.

Mr Šuksta said the news was “really worrying, especially since it came after a crucial European Union summit”.

He stressed that the entire European Union was facing difficulties and that the information it received from manufacturers about future vaccines changed from time to time.

According to A. Šuksta, to vaccinate 70 percent. population in mid-summer, manufacturers must have the necessary quantities of vaccines delivered smoothly and regularly on a weekly basis from February onwards, as not only is the first vaccination required, but revaccination with the second dose is also required.

“In other words, if the manufacturer brings the vaccines to Lithuania on June 30, it will simply be physically impossible to vaccinate the required critical number of people by mid-summer,” said the minister’s representative.

The EU has not yet approved the AstraZeneca vaccine, developed in collaboration with the University of Oxford, but a decision on its distribution in the Community is expected on 29 January.

Another vaccine maker, Pfizer, also reported vaccine delays in mid-January due to necessary changes in production. To date, two vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer in collaboration with BioNTech have been licensed in the European Union (EU).

According to data published by the Department of Statistics, almost 58 thousand people in Lithuania have currently received the first COVID-19 vaccine. people, the second – 9 thousand. people.

The new vaccine alert is a cause for concern for the EU as a whole

AstraZeneca’s warning that its coronavirus vaccine production in Europe will be “less than initially expected” as production capacity dwindles has once again raised concerns about vaccination campaigns and forced some countries to prepare for a major supply cut.

A statement from the British pharmaceutical company was released on Friday. Earlier, US company Pfizer announced that the pace of vaccine supply would slow down in the coming weeks due to work to be done at its parent company in Belgium.

The alerts from both companies have come out of growing concern about new strains of COVID-19, in particular a strain that has emerged in the UK and is believed to be more contagious.

In total, more than 692 thousand cases have already been registered in Europe. deaths from COVID-19 and nearly 32 million cases of coronavirus infection.

To date, two vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer in collaboration with BioNTech have been licensed in the European Union (EU).

The EU has not yet approved the AstraZeneca vaccine, developed in collaboration with the University of Oxford, but a decision on its distribution in the Community is expected on 29 January.

The AstraZeneca report says that if the vaccine is approved by the EU, its “initial quantities will be lower than expected”, although the start of distribution itself will not be delayed.

The company explained this by “reduced productivity at the production site within our European supply chain”, but did not provide further details.

In any case, AstraZeneca has said it will deliver “millions of doses” to the EU and increase production in February and March.

The report caused “deep dissatisfaction” among EU member states, which “are demanding that the delivery schedule be respected,” said Stela Kiriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety.

“Very, very bad news”

Austrian Health Minister Rudolf Anschober called it “very, very bad news” and said his country would receive just over half of the 650,000 in February. AstraZeneca vaccine dose as expected.

Lithuania said it would receive only a fifth of the promised doses of AstraZeneca in the first quarter of this year.

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said of the delay in delivery of vaccines: “It will ruin our plans.”

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte wrote on Facebook that his government was considering taking legal action against AstraZeneca’s “unacceptable” report.

“If it is confirmed that the first quarter … the doses will be reduced by 60%, that will mean 3.4 million. doses instead of 8 million. dose, ”he wrote.

Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke said on state television that the government has a contract with AstraZeneca for 1.5 million. vaccine doses in the first quarter of this year.

AstraZeneca now says it will be half, instead of 1.5 million. “650 thousand”, said the minister. While calling it “very bad news,” he acknowledged that production problems could arise because the process was complicated.

But some government officials have tried to reassure their countries, exhausted by months of pandemics and already angered by the slow pace of vaccines.

“New vaccines on the way. “We have Pfizer, which is increasing production capacity,” Agnes Pannier-Runacher, the country’s industry minister, told French radio.

Prime Minister Jean Castex announced on Saturday that France has already vaccinated one million people.

The EU initially asked for up to 400 million euros. AstraZeneca doses of the vaccine, and has signed contracts for more than $ 2 billion. vaccine doses of its 450 million. population.

The advantage of the AstraZeneca vaccine is that it is cheaper to produce and easier to store and transport than competitive vaccines.

The “sad fact”

German Health Minister Jens Spahn said doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine would be delivered in February after expected approval, but how much “remains to be clarified with AstraZeneca and the European Union.”

Swedish vaccination coordinator Richard Bergstrom said his country would likely receive around 700,000 people in the first month after the vaccine was approved. their doses, although initially it was expected to reach one million. dose.

Norway, which is not a member of the EU but complies with the decisions of the European Medicines Agency (EEA), has expressed disappointment.

Norwegian officials now expect to receive just 200,000 in February. AstraZeneca vaccine doses are much lower than expected: 1.12 million. dose.

Pfizer’s report on the delay also continues to be criticized.

On January 15, Pfizer announced changes to its vaccine plant in Piurs to increase vaccine production beginning in mid-February.

“We believe that Pfizer is currently on the offensive,” Domenico Arcuri, Italy’s special commissioner for the pandemic, told La Stampa on Saturday. He confirmed that Rome plans to take legal action against the company.

20% reduction in the supply of Pfizer vaccines is not a rough estimate, but a sad fact, “he said, adding that Italian health was” indisputable. “

French European Affairs Minister Clement Beaune asked Pfizer on Friday to “honor its commitments.”