AstraZeneca informs EU officials about vaccine delivery shortfall - Bild

Ludwig Burger
·1 min read
FILE PHOTO: Vial and sryinge are seen in front of displayed AstraZeneca logo

By Ludwig Burger

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - AstraZeneca has informed the European Commission that it will initially not be able to deliver the agreed volumes of its COVID-19 vaccine when it obtains regulatory approval for the bloc, which is expected by end-January, German newspaper Bild reported on Friday, citing company sources.

An AstraZeneca spokesman did not have an immediate comment when contacted by Reuters.

Austrian news site OE24 also reported of the looming delivery delays, saying that Astra had told the EU's vaccination coordinators on Thursday that planned deliveries would be considerably below target during the first quarter.

Without specifying its sources, OE24 reported that Austrian coordinator Martin Auer told regional states in the country that Austria's allotments for the first quarter had been cut to 500,000 to 600,000 doses from 2 million previously planned.

(Reporting by Ludwig Burger; editing by Thomas Seythal and Edward Taylor)