Detailed image of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccination bottle.
Hugh Hastings | Getty Images News | Getty Images
LONDON – Pfizer will temporarily reduce the number of doses of the coronavirus vaccine to be delivered in Europe, according to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.
The authority said in a statement released Friday that deliveries of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine would be reduced from next week “and for a period ahead.”
NIPH said it received a message from Pfizer “just before 10 a.m.” on Friday, according to a translation of the statement.
“43,875 doses of Pfizer vaccine were predicted in week 3. We now appear to be getting 36,075 doses,” the statement said. A Pfizer spokesman was not immediately available for comment when contacted by CNBC.
It was explained that the temporary reduction in deliveries was “related to an improvement in production capacity”. “The temporary reduction will affect all European countries,” he added.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Tuesday that he was confident he could “drastically increase” vaccine production this year with the goal of making up to 2 billion doses.
Bourla also said Pfizer currently had more doses of the vaccine available than those used.
The European Union said last week that it was doubling its Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine stock.
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said the agreement would allow the EU to buy another 300 million doses of its existing one. The EU’s executive arm has already been criticized for not buying more of the vaccine.