European Union grants approval to AstraZeneca's vaccine amid tussle over delays

AstraZeneca on Friday was granted conditional marketing authorisation (CMA) for its COVID-19 vaccine by the European Union regulators. 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. 

"Today’s recommendation underscores the value of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine which is not only effective and well-tolerated, but also easy to administer and, importantly, protects fully against severe disease and hospitalisations. We are deeply grateful to Oxford University, participants in the clinical trials and AstraZeneca colleagues for their unwavering commitment to providing this lifesaving vaccine to millions of Europeans," Pascal Soriot, CEO of AstraZeneca said in a statement. 

Read: Germany Expects Limited EU Approval For AstraZeneca Vaccine

Delay in distribution 

AstraZeneca is the third company to receive approval in the European Union after American firms Pfizer and Moderna were granted CMA earlier last month. AstraZeneca's approval comes amid the ongoing tussle between the company and the European Union over production and distribution delays. AstraZeneca had said that it will not be able to deliver promised doses to the EU because of issues at European production sites. However, the EU has accused the company of diverting its share to Britain and other countries, which AstraZeneca has categorically dismissed. 

Read: AstraZeneca To Produce 90 Million Doses Of COVID-19 Vaccine In Japan, Says Official

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. 

Read: 'Vaccine Delay Issue Is Real, Makers Working Non-stop To Plug Supply Gap': WHO EU Chief

Meanwhile, the bloc is already dealing with delayed distribution from Pfizer-BioNTech, which is currently supplying vaccines to the EU for its inoculation campaign. AstraZeneca has said that production issues will likely mean that it will only be able to deliver 31 million doses to the EU in the first quarter, 40% less than its promised doses of 80 million. Both sides have held several talks since then trying to resolve the issue, but it seems the delay is inevitable. 

Read: EU Regulator Authorises AstraZeneca Vaccine For All Adults