AstraZeneca has warned the EU it cannot meet its first quarter delivery commitments for a vaccine it developed with Oxford University. This vaccine was key to early plans to ramp up delivery in Ireland and to have 700,000 people – including all the over-70s – vaccinated by the end of March. That means closer to 550,000 with the required two vaccine doses by end March rather than 700,000. The agency has approved the AstraZeneca vaccine for use in the EU for all over-18s. The commission now faces criticism for some of its handling of vaccine purchases, explaining its trenchant reaction to the AstraZeneca news this week.

Source: The Irish Times January 28, 2021 20:00 UTC