Moderna Inc. expects a Covid-19 vaccine dose shortage that will supply countries outside the U.S., including Canada and the United Kingdom, citing problems with its European supply chain.
The Cambridge, Massachusetts company said Friday that the dose deficit affects second-quarter deliveries in several countries, but did not specify others beyond Canada and the United Kingdom. Manufacturing problems will not affect U.S. supplies.
“The trajectory of the increase in vaccine manufacturing is not linear and, despite the efforts made, there is a previously estimated dose deficit of the European supply chain,” the company said in a statement. “Vaccine manufacturing is a highly complex process and several elements, including human and material resources, have taken this volatility into account.”
The deficit is the latest setback in efforts to accelerate the manufacture of Covid-19 vaccines. Modern and Pfizer Inc. they were initially able to make only limited quantities while building manufacturing capacities. In March, AstraZeneca PLC warned European officials that its production was below plans. Also that month, Merck & Co. agreed to help Johnson & Johnson make more of its vaccine.
Canadian Procurement Minister Anita Anand said in a statement distributed by her office that Moderna’s next scheduled shipment scheduled for the end of April will be halved, to 650,000 doses.