Italy announces export to Australia of vaccines developed by AstraZeneca Laboratory against COVID-19 under EU regulations.
The Italian newspaper La Repubblica stated in its electronic edition that 250,000 doses of the vaccine would be exported.
A few hours later, the Foreign Ministry confirmed the ban.
The ship was stopped earlier “Vaccine shortage in EU and Italy and delay in delivery of AstraZeneca in EU and Italy”Explained the official statement.
Australia, moreover, is not considered a nation. “Vulnerable“In the face of the epidemic, one more asked”The higher the volume”.
Italy stated that Australia had applied for an export permit on February 24, and Rome sent it to the European Commission two days later, at the same time requesting that it be rejected.
“The European Commission supported the Italian proposal to deny accreditation”, Citing a European diplomatic source in Brussels.
Italian Chancellor “The Commission issued a denial of exports to Italy on the same day that it agreed to the move”Explained the source.
On January 28, the European Union announced a monitoring system for product exports due to AstraZeneca’s difficulties in distributing the number of negotiations for the COVID vaccine.
The organization said, “Export transparency and licensing mechanism”, Aims to gather information on the production of the COVID-19 vaccine, which is regularly shipped outside the EU.
EU officials at the time said it was a “Emergency action“And it is not directed against any particular laboratory, but it clearly gives member states the opportunity to send veto ships out of the block if they are not considered.”Systematic”.
An anonymous source in Brussels said in a statement that the new regulation “Export ban“Even if he admits it could happen”In a rare case”Refusal to authorize sales.
Therefore, Italy was the first EU country to exercise this right.
In Italy, 1.52 million people have already been vaccinated, mostly health workers and the elderly. The country, with a population of about 60 million, has already used a total of 4.8 million doses.
Australia launched its vaccine campaign last week with the Bioentech-Pfizer vaccine. He plans to include AstraZeneca levels in the campaign starting Friday.