Italy's Foreign Minister Dimaio has suspended the export of domestically manufactured pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca's vaccine to Australia, citing delays in the supply of vaccines to the EU-European Union. He showed the idea of suspending exports.
The EU has introduced a measure in January that requires pharmaceutical companies to obtain a permit from the member state where the factory is located when exporting the vaccine for the new coronavirus produced in the region.
Based on this, the Italian government has suspended the export of about 250,000 AstraZeneca vaccines to Australia for the first time in the region.
Italy's Foreign Minister Dimaio said at a press conference on the 5th that "the supply promised by pharmaceutical companies is delayed not only in Italy but in all EU member states. Such a delay is unacceptable" and suspended exports. He emphasized that it was due to the delay in supply to the EU.
He pointed out that Europe as a whole is in a state of concern about the spread of mutant virus infections, saying that "as long as vaccine supply delays continue, EU member states have the right to stop exporting to less vulnerable countries."
Pfizer vaccines manufactured in Belgium and elsewhere are exported from the EU to Japan, but so far all exports have been approved.