Vaccines: Can the European Union do without AstraZeneca next year?

THE QUESTION -

Not a week goes by without the AstraZeneca laboratory being the subject of criticism from the authorities of the old continent.

Friday morning, the Minister of Industry explained that the European Union could draw conclusions from the delivery difficulties encountered by the group, by refusing to conclude a new agreement with him for 2022. "

It is the greatest probability

", said Agnès Pannier-Runacher.

Read also: AstraZeneca vaccine: these health professionals who defy the advice of health authorities

Same story on the side of the European executive. On Sunday, the Internal Market Commissioner remained cautious, highlighting AstraZeneca's delays and suggesting, without confirming it, that the laboratory could be ruled out for 2022. “

We had ordered 120 million doses for the first quarter and 180 million for the second trimester. It turns out that in the first quarter they only shipped 30 million, which created problems that everyone saw

"and"

they only ship 70 million in the second quarter

". This is only a third of the quantities promised. Faced with these repeated delays, the contract, which "

ends on June 30

", may not be renewed, suggested Thierry Breton.

While the Union is already preparing for next year, messenger RNA vaccines, including those from Pfizer-BioNTech, therefore appear to be favored.

But can the 27 do without the AstraZeneca doses this year?

And what about next year?

Read also: Covid-19: view the evolution of vaccine dose deliveries to France

CHECKS -

Let us first recall that the current contracts between the European Commission and the laboratories cover deliveries for the year 2021.

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