Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

EU orders raid of AstraZeneca vaccine plant in Belgium as row over Covid jabs escalates

EU orders raid of AstraZeneca vaccine plant in Belgium as row over Covid jabs escalates

Belgian regulators carried out an inspection of AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine production site near Brussels at the behest of the European Commission, amid an ongoing spat over the deployment of the company’s Covid-19 vaccine.
During the inspection ordered by the European Union’s executive branch, samples and records were taken from the Novasep factory, in the town of Seneffe, outside Brussels, to be analyzed by officials from Belgium’s Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (FAGG).

The inspection marks an escalation in the ongoing row between the bloc and the pharmaceutical company over Covid-19 vaccine delivery delays to member states. The FAGG confirmed on Thursday that the commission had requested an inspection of production flows.

Deliveries of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine throughout the EU are now in doubt, but the company has assured the UK government it will be capable of delivering two million doses per week to Britain, fulfilling its total order of 100 million doses. The EU is investigating whether doses manufactured in European territory have been rerouted in recent weeks to fill the UK order.

The inspection was carried out to “make sure that the delivery delay is indeed due to a production problem on the Belgian site,” France Dammel, a spokesperson for Belgium’s health ministry said, adding that it “was conducted in full transparency and objectivity.”

“Belgian experts are now examining the elements that were collected, together with experts from the Netherlands, Italy and Spain,” he said. An initial report on the findings is expected within days, with a follow-up inspection already planned in the coming weeks.

The Anglo-Swedish drugs maker announced last week that it planned to cut initial EU deliveries from 80 million to 31 million, citing reduced yields from its European manufacturing facilities. However, the EU disputes this and claims it will receive just a quarter of the vaccines agreed to between the 27-nation bloc and the pharma giant.

Stella Kyriakides, the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, decried the “continued lack of clarity on the delivery schedule,” following a third round of talks with the drugs manufacturer on Wednesday.

The European Medicines Agency is expected to make a decision on whether to grant approval to the AstraZeneca jab on Friday. Ahead of that decision, the German authorities have recommended that the AstraZeneca vaccine be given only to people aged between 18 and 64, amid safety and efficacy concerns about its use among older and more vulnerable demographics.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Budapest Central European Fashion Week Kicks Off
U.S. Celebrates Labor Day
Hungarian National Team Captain Scores Epic Goal
×