The European Union’s vaccination effort came under fire last week, facing criticism for the slow rollout of vaccinations across its member states.
According to EU sources, the bloc will receive just a quarter of the 100 million doses it had been expecting from AstraZeneca by the end of March. Deliveries from Pfizer have also slowed, with the firm saying it’s adjusting production methods.
Now dozens of nations have been forced to cancel appointments – with Madrid cancelling first dose jabs for the next two weeks while they wait for the situation to be resolved.
And things could look even worse for the bloc, as Angela Merkel’s Health Minister Jens Spahn warned of “at least another 10 weeks of shortages”.
But European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen defended the EU’s vaccine strategy insisting it is at the beginning of “a marathon”.