Photographer: David Paul Morris / Bloomberg
Photographer: David Paul Morris / Bloomberg
Moderna Inc. said it will deliver fewer Covid-19 vaccines than expected in the UK, Canada and other countries this quarter due to lack of dose in its European supply chain.
Modern, working with a Swiss partner Lonza Group AG, which fired in Europe, attributed the reduction in deliveries to a slower-than-expected rise in production capacity. Modern has its own plant in Massachusetts that supplies supplies to the US
Reducing deliveries to other countries will further restrict global vaccine supply, with features from Johnson & Johnson suspended in much of the world due to concerns about a link to rare but dangerous clots, a problem that has also led to restrictions on the use of The AstraZeneca Plc vaccine in Europe.
“The trajectory of the increase in vaccine manufacturing is not linear and, despite the efforts made, there is a deficit of previously estimated doses,” Moderna said in a statement on Friday. “Vaccine manufacturing is a highly complex process and several elements, including human and material resources, have taken this volatility into account.”
Shipments to the UK will be reduced from this month, a few days after the launch of the Modern vaccine in Britain, which will affect the total number of doses expected to be offered by the end of June.
UK program
The UK vaccination program has been a bright spot in Britain’s response to the pandemic, as almost half of the population is vaccinated with at least one dose. The pace seems to be slowing down over the next few weeks, though, after the delay in shipping the AstraZeneca vaccine from India was delayed, prompting the government to shift attention to administering second doses.
The UK has bought 17 million doses of the Modern shot, the smallest contract in its vaccine portfolio.
The company has also informed the Canadian government that it will halve Covid-19 vaccine deliveries this month as it struggles to contain a third wave of coronavirus cases, according to the Minister of Procurement, Anita Anand.
Canada will now receive 650,000 doses by the end of April, instead of the 1.2 million initially planned. Up to two million more expected to arrive in late June will arrive in late September, Anand said by email.
Lonza did not immediately respond to phone and email messages seeking comment.
– With the assistance of Tim Loh and Robert Langreth
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