Shipments of J&J vaccines from South Africa to Europe were halted, according to the AU

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NAIROBI, September 2 (Reuters) – An agreement by which Johnson & Johnson (J&J) (JNJ.N) was sending doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Europe that had been packaged in South Africa has been suspended, the envoy of the African Union (AU) Strive Masiyiwa said Thursday.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said last month that he was “stunned” by the agreement, as Europe has very high vaccination rates, while even the most vulnerable people in many African countries they had not been vaccinated. Read more

At the time, the European Commission described it as a temporary deal, while J&J made no comment when contacted by Reuters.

The shots packaged by South African partner J&J Aspen (APNJ.J) that had already been sent to Europe would be returned, Masiyiwa said at a briefing organized on Thursday by the AU’s disease control body.

J&J had shipped less than 20 million doses to Europe, he said, and the halt to shipments was due in part to interventions by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

According to his contract with J&J, Aspen imports the pharmacological substance for the vaccine from the American pharmaceutical company and packs it (a process called “filling and finishing”) at its plant in South Africa.

J&J has a bilateral agreement with South Africa to supply 31 million doses of vaccine and a separate contract with the AU for 220 million doses with an option for an additional 180 million.

Report by Maggie Fick Writing by Alexander Winning edition by Bernadette Baum

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