European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says Europe “means business” on having its contracts honoured.Credit:AP
Other leaders have threatened court action to ensure contracts are met.
A spokesman for Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt said the government remained on track for the first vaccinations to occur in late February.
He said the timeline and expected initial supply of 80,000 Pfizer doses per week “already reflect the global supply challenges and remain cautious and conservative estimates based on current advice”.
“We[also] remain in a strong position with the security of 50 million doses of onshore production[of the AstraZeneca vaccine] by CSL,” he said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told the Davos forum on Tuesday that the EU would insist on being given enough supply.
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“Europe is determined to contribute to this global common good but it also means business,” she said.
“And now,the companies must deliver. They must honour their obligations and this is why we will set up a vaccine export transparency mechanism.”
Asked about the EU’s actions,Pfizer chairman and chief executive officer Albert Bourla criticised “suggestions that are not prudent being on the table” and said the company would significantly ramp up production in the second quarter.
“Let’s keep in mind a lot of the raw materials needed to produce this vaccine comes from other countries,” Bourla told a Bloomberg conference. He went on to say one country restricting or banning exports would have a ripple effect through the supply chain and encourage others to act the same.
UK Health Minister Matt Hancock said “protectionism is not the right approach in the middle of a pandemic”.
The UK will produce most of its Oxford-AstraZeneca allocation onshore but its Pfizer doses are reliant on imports from Belgium.
Barry Andrews,an Irish member of the European Parliament,described the row as “unseemly” and urged all sides to “de-escalate”.
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Some experts have accused the EU of unfairly blaming AstraZeneca for Europe’s sluggish vaccine rollout. The EU entered into contracts with AstraZeneca later than some other countries and is only expected to approve the jab for use on Friday.
The UK granted it emergency approval on December 30.
The UK has administered about 11 doses for every 100 people compared to 2.3 in Italy,2.1 in Germany and 1.57 in France.