Published 19:22 IST, February 6th 2021
AstraZeneca coronavirus shots start to arrive in EU after vaccination chaos over delays
Coronavirus vaccine manufactured by AstraZeneca is finally arriving in the EU countries as the bloc tries to speed up its inoculation campaign.
Coronavirus vaccine manufactured by AstraZeneca is finally arriving in the EU countries as the bloc tries to speed up its inoculation campaign. According to Bloomberg, France will use the vaccine beginning Saturday, with a priority for healthcare workers, after its first batch arrived Friday evening. Germany, Ireland, Spain and Austria will also start offering the shot, while Portugal, on the other hand, will receive deliveries early next week. The doses by the pharmaceutical company are transported mostly by truck via hubs across the continent, and their arrival is a welcome development for the European Union, which has spent the past few weeks in a public row over vaccine targets.
AstraZeneca will deliver 30 per cent more coronavirus vaccine doses to the European Union than it pledged earlier. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen had informed that the pharmaceutical company will be sending nine million doses. The recent development comes after days of tensions over production delays and the EU accusing the company of diverting its share to Britain and other countries.
70% adults to be vaccinated before end of summer
EU aims to vaccinate 70 per cent of adults by the end of summer. It is worth noting that AstraZeneca is the third company to receive approval in the European Union after American firms Pfizer and Moderna were granted CMA earlier last month. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) reviewed the trial data and unanimously recommended the vaccine for use in adults aged 18 years or older. The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the EMA has recommended the use of two doses of AstraZeneca's vaccine in adults at 4 to 12 weeks interval.
European countries are under pressure to vaccinate more people because of the ongoing restrictions that are severely affecting the lives and businesses in the region. Several European countries reintroduced lockdowns after the detection of new COVID-19 variants, which are contributing to the higher caseloads and fatalities. European hospitals are also feeling the pressure because of an increase in hospital admissions in the recent past. According to Bloomberg, the EU’s vaccination progress is so far lagging far behind the UK and the US.
Updated 19:22 IST, February 6th 2021