Vaccine is on its way – Pfizer

FIRM CAN’T KEEP UP WITH DELIVERIES

Belguim plant upgraded to scale up production soon, it promises.

Pharma giant Pfizer tried to ease concerns in Europe about deliveries of its Covid-19 vaccine as nations across the world doubled down on restrictions to fight the pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic is showing no signs of slowing down, with infections surging past 94 million and more than two million deaths, and Europe among the hardest-hit parts of the world.

Worries have grown that delays in the delivery of Pfizer-BioNTech shots could hamper a

European vaccine roll-out, which has already faced heavy criticism across the continent.

Work is ongoing at the Pfizer plant in Belgium to increase capacity, and the firm and its German partner, BioNTech, said on Saturday it would allow them to “significantly” scale up vaccine production in the second quarter.

Deliveries would be back to the original schedule to the EU from next week Monday, they pledged.

Several Nordic and Baltic countries have described the situation as “unacceptable”, while Belgium’s vaccination strategy task force condemned a lack of consultation by Pfizer over the deliveries as “incomprehensible”.

France, which crossed 70 000 Covid-19 deaths on the weekend, is set to begin a campaign to inoculate people over 75 from today. Russia plans to begin mass vaccinations too.

Despite the roll-out of vaccines, countries still have few options but to rely on movement and distancing restrictions to control the spread of the virus.

Curbs will be tightened in Italy and Switzerland from today, while Britain will require testing of all international arrivals.

The number of infections in the US – the worst-hit country – soared to more than 23.7 million on Saturday, with close to 400 000 deaths, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally.

The pandemic has battered the American economy, with millions left jobless, and President-elect Joe Biden has vowed to step up efforts to end the pandemic when he is inaugurated on Wednesday.

The incoming administration has pledged to set up thousands of immunisation sites, deploy mobile clinics and expand the public health workforce. –