EU Will Not Take Up Option Of 300mn Extra AZ, J&J Doses: RTRS

Reuters reporting that according to an EU source the bloc will not take up the option of an additional combined 300mn doses of COVID-19 vaccines from AstraZeneca/Oxford University and Janssen/J&J.

• Also reporting that source says it is premature to say whether new contracts will be negotiated with the firms or not.
• In addition to its original contract orders for vaccines, the EU had the option of ordering more doses once it has used up its initial allocation. However, the EU engaged in a bitter spat with AZ in January and February over vaccine supply, while J&J has not yet shipped any of its one-shot doses to the EU while there is a temporary pause to the J&J rollout in the US.
• EU clearly seeking to make large deals with Moderna and Pfizer, which provide mRNA vaccines which - so far - have not shown any of the very rare blood clotting issues seen with the AZ and J&J jabs. Pfizer vaccine also largely produced in the EU so leaders looking to secure solid supply that may not be forthcoming from non-EU producers.