Health Commissioner Speaks On AstraZeneca Vaccine Supply

European Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides speaking in a press conference on vaccines says "We reject the logic of 'first-come-first-served'. That may work at the neighbourhood butchers but not in a contract."

• 'There's no hierarchy of the four production plants named in the advanced purchase agreement. Two are in the EU and two are located in the UK.'
• "In our contract it is not specified any country, or the UK, has priority because it signed earlier. If this was the case AstraZeneca should've proposed a clause...acknowledging that they would prioritise for example deliveries to the UK."
• "EU is not imposing an export ban on vaccines and is not restricting export of vaccine to third countries." Says the EU only wants transparency on vaccine exports.
• EU actions currently a major concern in the UK. Fear that either AZ vaccine doses could be diverted from UK plants to EU or that EU could halt the supply of Pfizer vaccines to the UK, both of which would damage UK chances of hitting its vaccination targets.