Italy blocks Australia’s AstraZeneca vaccines
About 250,000 doses are involved, which is unlikely to have any material effect, but Australia has asked the EU to review Italy’s decision
05 March 2021 - 11:25
Frankfurt/Brussels/Rome — Italy has blocked a shipment of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine to Australia, using a recently introduced EU regulation for the first time, in a move that risks triggering a global backlash.
Under the export transparency mechanism, countries have to inform the European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, of their decisions to block or allow exports of vaccines outside the EU. The commission didn’t oppose Italy’s decision, an EU official said. The company declined to comment...
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