Member-countries of the European Union is extremely unhappy with the news that supplies of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by the German company BioNTech and the U.S. Pfizer will be delayed for several weeks.
This was reported by the German Federal Ministry of Health.
“At the last minute, the European Commission and EU member states were informed that Pfizer Puurs would not be able to fully deliver the already promised supply in the next three to four weeks due to changes in operations at the Puurs plant,” the ministry said in a statement.
According to the German Health Ministry, Pfizer said the work is aimed at increasing production capacity from mid-February. Berlin took the news “with regret,” because the companies themselves had set delivery deadlines until mid-February. Germany “expects the European Commission to get clarity and certainty from Pfizer on further delivery dates as soon as possible.
The health ministers of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Sweden, in a joint letter, expressed concern about the delayed delivery of the BioNTech and Pfizer coronavirus vaccine.
“We ask that you urgently contact BioNTech/Pfizer to demand a public explanation of the situation and emphasize the need for stability and transparency in timely deliveries,” the media quoted the letter to the European Commission, signed by six ministers.
In their opinion, the current situation is unacceptable and reduces confidence in the vaccination process.
The British edition of The Guardian reports that Pfizer will temporarily reduce volumes of supplies of the vaccine against coronavirus COVID-19 to the EU due to the need to increase production capacity to 2 billion doses per year from the current 1.3 billion.
“The temporary reduction (in supplies) will affect all European countries. It is not yet clear exactly how long it will take for Pfizer to return to maximum production levels,” the newspaper quoted the Norwegian Institute of Public Health as saying.
Earlier it was reported that Pfizer will temporarily reduce the supply of its vaccine against coronavirus in Europe.
