EU Vaccine Rollout Issues

The EU has ordered millions of doses of the UK-made AstraZeneca vaccine. However, the vaccine rollouts from AstraZeneca have contained many problems. The EU has been criticized for the slow rollout of its vaccinations. The contract between the EU and AstraZeneca contains a confidentiality clause but the EU has asked the company to release the details nevertheless.

Due to these dwindling supplies of coronavirus vaccines, Madrid has cancelled first dose injections for two weeks. Angela Merkel has said that Germany faces at least another 10 weeks of shortages. Hospitals in Paris are in a similar position as they are delaying first dose appointments in order to ensure already-vaccinated citizens get their second dose. Portugal said it could take up to two months longer than initially planned to complete the first phase of its vaccinations.

As the EU continues to blame AstraZeneca for these shortages, they have claimed that they are being treated as Second Class citizens by the British company due to Brexit. This has been widely debunked as the EU signed its agreement with AstraZeneca three months after Britain left the EU. The UK has tried to stay out of the AstraZeneca row, with the government focusing instead on the content of their contract with the pharmaceutical company.