AstraZeneca - raid on Italian factory - March 24, 2021

[kiwibird]

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/24/world/europe/astrazeneca-vaccine-stockpile-italy.html

E.U. officials said there was no evidence that the stockpile in Italy, first reported by the Italian daily La Stampa, was bound for Britain. They said the company, when confronted about the doses, said that 16 million doses were bound for the E.U. market and 13 million to countries under the Covax initiative that aims to get doses to poorer nations. Those latter exports would be exempt from E.U. controls, as they are deemed to be of humanitarian nature

https://www.express.co.uk/news/poli...-Italy-Halix-29million-doses-UK-EU-export-ban

AstraZeneca seizure: 29m jabs 'hidden' for UK pensioners uncovered by Italian officials

ASTRAZENECA "hid" almost 30 million doses of vaccines destined to the UK in its bottling plant in Italy, an Italian newspaper has claimed.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/poli...raffic.outbrain&utm_campaign=traffic.outbrain

We'll take them! Belgium calls EU states' bluff and asks for unused AstraZeneca vaccines

BELGIUM could take AstraZeneca vaccines snubbed by its EU neighbours, a minister has said.

https://www.theguardian.com/society...ria-used-decide-block-covid-vaccine-shipments

The EU is expected to take into account the level of vaccination coverage in a country and its record in facilitating exports to the bloc when deciding on whether to prohibit individual vaccine shipments to the UK and elsewhere.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/hea...-with-uk-over-30m-astrazeneca-doses-1.4518387

The European Union is set for a showdown with the United Kingdom over a stockpile of AstraZeneca vaccines, said to number up to 30 million doses, and coveted by both sides to shore up inoculation campaigns, as a deadly wave of infection threatens the continent.

Brussels suspects the British-Swedish company of building up a stockpile of the vaccine produced in a Dutch factory and finished in Italy that officials estimate runs into tens of millions of doses that are awaiting delivery.

 

[kiwibird]

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...Zeneca-fears-time-high-5m-doses-sit-used.html

European leaders are demanding UK's AstraZeneca jabs despite most people in France, Germany and Spain believing it is 'un-safe' while 5.5million doses sit un-used in warehouses on the continent

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...r-belgium-italian-official-idUSKBN2BG1XT?il=0

ROME (Reuters) - The doses of AstraZeneca vaccines found at a plant in Italy over the weekend were bound for Belgium, an Italian official said on Wednesday.

.... snip

The checks were carried out by the Italy?s Carabinieri military police between Saturday and Sunday, the official said.