The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, threatened this Saturday (20.03.2021) to withhold the exports of the British pharmaceutical company with a factory in Belgium AstraZeneca if it does not deliver the agreed doses of vaccine to Brussels, amid the escalation due to delays in supply.
“We have the option to block planned exports, that’s the message for AstraZeneca: first you fulfill your contract with Europe and then you start supplying to other countries,” Von der Leyen said in an interview with the German media group Funke Media Group. And he added that the Commission wants to send that message as an “official reminder” to the company.
Von der Leyen said that the British-Swedish laboratory AstraZeneca has only delivered 30% of the 90 million vaccines promised to the EU in the first quarter of the year. The company argued that it had production delays at its European factories, but European officials are making no secret of their outrage at AstraZeneca, which did manage to deliver all the promised doses to the UK. “We are getting nothing in return from the British while the company is delivering the vaccines to them,” complained Von der Leyen.
Export control mechanism
On Wednesday, Von der Leyen already threatened to tighten the conditions for exports of vaccines to producing countries, for a matter of “reciprocity” and “proportionality.” “All options are on the table,” said the official. “We are ready to use every tool we need to achieve this, and make sure that Europe has its fair share,” he added.
The European Union adopted a vaccine export control mechanism in January, and last week extended the deadline for applying those rules until the end of June. Under this mechanism, companies that signed vaccine pre-sale contracts with the EU must obtain authorization to export doses outside the block. To prohibit the export of vaccines, the Member State where they are produced must initiate the procedure and then the Commission gives its approval.
This mechanism has been applied once, in the case of Italy, which blocked the export of a shipment of 250,000 doses of the drug from AstraZeneca to Australia, arguing the “persistent shortage” of vaccines and “delays in supply” by the laboratory.
The vaccines that promise to defeat the coronavirus
Sputnik V, Instituto Gamaleya
The “Russian vaccine” aroused initial mistrust, but it has established itself as an option for a score of countries, including Argentina, Bolivia and Venezuela. The doubts arose due to its rapid approval, in August 2020, without having finished the tests. However, subsequent studies give high efficacy to this preparation, which uses adenoviral vectors to elicit immunity.
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The vaccines that promise to defeat the coronavirus
BNT162b2, BioNTech/Pfizer
The vaccine from the German firm BioNTech uses a previously unpublished technology: lipid-covered mRNA. Simply explained, the vaccine “mimics” the form of SARS-CoV-2, eliciting the body’s response. In trials it showed high efficacy, which has been replicated in real conditions. The Pfizer firm acts in the alliance as a partner in manufacturing. It is used in a score of countries.
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The vaccines that promise to defeat the coronavirus
mRNA-1273, Modern
The vaccine developed by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Advanced Biomedical Research and Development Authority (BARDA), and the Moderna firm uses technology similar to BioNTech’s. In trials it demonstrated an efficacy close to 95 percent. Unlike BioNTech, this formula can be stored at -20 degrees. It is used in the US and the European Union.
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The vaccines that promise to defeat the coronavirus
AZD1222, Oxford-AstraZeneca
This vaccine developed by British and Swedish experts uses a modified chimpanzee adenovirus as a vector. The trials took place in the UK, Brazil, South Africa, Japan and India, and were interrupted a couple of times by suspicious deaths. However, its safety and efficacy ranging from 60 to 90 percent have been confirmed. It is used in Brazil, the EU and the UK.
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The vaccines that promise to defeat the coronavirus
Ad5-nCoV, Cansino Biologics
This Chinese firm’s vaccine uses the common cold adenovirus to introduce an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 protein into the human body, eliciting an immune response. It has been used in China to inoculate soldiers of the People’s Army, and the tests were carried out in Russia, Pakistan, Mexico, Chile and Argentina. It is currently used in Mexico, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Use only one dose.
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The vaccines that promise to defeat the coronavirus
CoronaVac, Sinovac Biotech
Like many vaccines that use inactivated viruses, this formula uses SARS-CoV-2 particles grown in cultures and inactivated before being injected into the body. The presence of these viruses triggers the immune reaction and prevents the disease from developing. Tested in Brazil, Indonesia, Chile and Turkey, it shows an effectiveness of more than 50 percent.
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The vaccines that promise to defeat the coronavirus
BBV152, Bharat Biotech
Also with inactivated viruses, this vaccine developed by Bharat and the Indian Council for Medical Research is known as Covaxin, and has shown 81 percent efficacy in clinical trials. At the time, it sparked controversy for being inoculated in medical workers when the formula was still in phase I clinical trials. India is now seeking approval in other markets.
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The vaccines that promise to defeat the coronavirus
BBIBP-CorV, Sinopharm
With trials in Argentina, Peru, the United Arab Emirates and other states, this Chinese inactivated virus vaccine has already been approved in Middle Eastern countries. According to studies, it would be 86 percent effective. Sinopharm is in the eye of controversy in Peru for having sent “courtesy vaccines” for politicians and for having donated thousands of dollars to the government.
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The vaccines that promise to defeat the coronavirus
Ad26.COV2.S, Johnson & Johnson
Along with CanSino’s, it is the only single-dose vaccine to date. It is developed by the Belgian firm Janssen Pharmaceutica, a subsidiary of the American Johnson & Johnson. It can be stored in a normal refrigerator and has been shown to be more than 66 percent efficient. It uses a non-replicative viral vector derived from human adenovirus A26.
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