SA Health says it hopes the blocking of 250,000 AstraZeneca COVID vaccines bound for Australia will have “minimal” impact on the rollout in South Australia.
Frontline health staff in Murray Bridge will be the first in the country to receive the AstraZeneca shot on Friday after 300,000 doses of the vaccine arrived in Sydney on Sunday.
But now another shipment that was bound for Australia has been prevented from leaving Italy.
According to 7 News:
The European Commission and Italy have blocked a shipment of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine destined for Australia after the drug manufacturer failed to meet its EU contract commitments, two sources say.
The sources said AstraZeneca had requested permission from the Italian government to export 250,000 doses from its Anagni plant near Rome.
The Italian government refused and the European Commission supported its decision, the sources said.
SA Health’s Dr Michael Cusack told FIVEAA Breakfast’s David & Will he wasn’t sure what the move meant for SA but he hoped the impact would be “minimal” as a Victorian facility prepares to start producing the same vaccine:
“I don’t really know,” Dr Cusack said. “We’ve had 300,000 doses in Australia and that’s where we have the 20,000 doses that have come to SA.
“We’re expecting the CSL source of production in Melbourne will come on stream at the end of this month where we effectively plan to change gear. The volumes of vaccines will increase substantially…
“I would hope it has minimal impact because clearly we have to get the public protected.”
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