Italy blocked the export of 250,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine yesterday, in a dramatic escalation of the dispute between the European Union (EU) and AstraZeneca.
Today, France's health minister said he could also block future vaccine deliveries, but believes in a common European approach.
These are the latest cases of squabbling between the European Union and British-Swedish drug maker AstraZeneca, the company which cut the number of vaccine doses it said it could send to the EU in early 2021.
Amid the controversy, French President Emmanuel Macron questioned the effectiveness of the Oxford / AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine for those over 65 years of age. Some European countries have also set an upper limit on the age of dosing, citing a lack of clinical study information about its effects in older people.
The slow pace of vaccination in the EU has become a political issue and some member states have turned to nations outside the bloc for help. Only 5.5% of the EU population has received a first dose of the vaccine, according to data from the World Health Organization. Many European Union countries have turned to Russia and China to fill gaps in vaccine supplies.
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Source: CNN
