As vaccine battle with UK deepens, EU blames AstraZeneca

LONDON (Reuters), 22 March, 2021-Britain on Monday demanded the European Union allow the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines it has ordered as tensions over a possible export ban on EU-manufactured shots mounted and Brussels pointed an accusing finger at drugmaker AstraZeneca.

“The UK is not to blame. The EU is not to blame,” said an EU official. “It’s about everyone finding agreement with a company that has been over-selling its production capacity. AstraZeneca has to deliver doses to its EU customers.”

After falling far behind post-Brexit Britain and the United States in rolling out vaccines, the EU’s leaders are due to discuss a possible ban on vaccine exports to Britain at a summit on Thursday.