The case is being updated.
The Swedish-British pharmaceutical giant refers to production problems and export restrictions.
“AstraZeneca is disappointed to have to announce a failure in the planned covid-19 vaccine deliveries to the European Union, despite the fact that we have worked tirelessly to speed up supplies,” a statement said on Saturday.
“Unfortunately, export restrictions will reduce deliveries in the first quarter and will probably affect deliveries in the second quarter,” the company continues.
The company has previously announced fewer deliveries to European countries, but hoped to cover it by obtaining vaccines from its global supply network.
Sweden gets fewer
AstraZeneca began delivering vaccines to the EU in February and aims to deliver 100 million doses in the first half of 2021. 30 million have been scheduled for delivery in the first quarter.
As recently as Friday, Sweden’s vaccine chief announced that Sweden will receive 3.3 million fewer doses of the vaccine than expected in the first half of 2021.
Norway was notified on Thursday that the country will receive 1 million fewer doses than expected in the first half of the year. The National Institute of Public Health was in contact with AstraZeneca on Friday after the news of lower Swedish deliveries, but received the answer that there will be no further delays to Norway now.
This means that AstraZeneca will continue to deliver 670,000 vaccine doses to Norway in the second quarter.
It is not clear what the latest delay will mean for deliveries to Norway.
Paused
Norway and a number of EU countries suspended the use of AstraZeneca’s vaccine as a result of reports of possible serious side effects. A Danish woman got a blood clot just after receiving the vaccines, and it is now being investigated whether this death and several other cases of blood clots are related to the vaccine.
The UK continues to use the vaccine, which Sweden also does, because they consider it safe. The World Health Organization (WHO) has also stated that it is safe and encouraged continued vaccination with AstraZeneca’s vaccine.
Also recommended for the elderly
Previously, there have been doubts about the effect of the vaccine for people over 65, but new studies have shown that it is also effective for the elderly, which has led to Norway and other countries now also recommending the vaccine for older residents.
AstraZeneca also ended up in a conflict with the EU in January over delayed vaccine deliveries.
The news of the delay then aroused anger and despair in European countries that had planned that the cheap vaccine would play a major role in the fight against the pandemic.
In connection with the crisis, strong criticism was leveled at the European Commission’s vaccine handling.
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