From Germany The Ministry of Health said the country’s federal and state governments “noted with regret” “the short notice and the unexpected announcement of the [European] Commission and Pfizer ” to temporarily limit deliveries of coronavirus vaccines due to modifications at the Puurs Pfizer plant in Belgium.
He made the comments in a statement issued Friday, saying:
“This is much more important because the company had promised delivery deadlines by mid – February.
The German federal and state governments hope that the EU Commission will provide clarity and security for future deliveries and delivery dates as soon as possible in negotiations with Pfizer.
In any case, it has been promised that the amounts announced for the first quarter will be delivered in full during the first quarter, “the statement concludes.
Nations across the EU are beginning to respond to change.
From Norway Geir Bukholm, director of Infection Prevention and Control at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, said in a statement: “For Norway, this means that by week 3 we will receive 7,800 fewer doses than Pfizer had previously reported.”
“We were notified shortly before 10 am [local] today. We are expected to receive 43,875 doses of Pfizer vaccine in week 3. We now appear to be receiving 36,075 doses. We have not yet shipped what we have kept prepared for these cases and we can now offset this reduction in deliveries with the emergency storage we have in Norway. Our current stock will be able to offset a reduction in deliveries scheduled for a few weeks in advance, should the need arise, ”Bukholm added.
From Denmark The Statum Serum Institute also said they have been told they will receive fewer vaccines.
“Pharmaceutical company Pfizer announced today that it will deliver fewer covid-19 vaccines to Europe than expected in the coming weeks. It will also affect Pfizer’s deliveries to Denmark. How much, however, is not yet known,” the statement said. Denmark should have received 59,475 doses of covid-19 vaccine by week 3, he added.
The Institute reported Friday morning that the change is due to a restructuring of production with the aim of increasing long-term capacity. Pfizer has indicated that they expect to have delivered the promised number of doses by the end of March 2021, according to the Danish statement.
“We are in an ongoing dialogue with Pfizer on what it would really mean for deliveries to Denmark, but we hope this means that in the near future we will be able to vaccinate less than was first assumed,” said Statens Serum director Henrik Ullum Institute.