Covid: courts rule on AstraZeneca delivery dates. Controversial vaccine caught in legal battle

A EUROPEAN judge has ruled that AstraZeneca must deliver 80.2 million jabs to the European Union by a September 27 deadline or face financial penalties.

The legal battle ensued after the manufacturer committed to do its best to supply 300 million doses across the 27 member states by the end of June – but production delays saw the target marked down to 100 million jabs.

The EU took action to secure at least 120 million jabs by the end of the month.

However, the courts ruled AstraZeneca must deliver 80.2 million shots by the September date; the manufacturer said it would ‘substantially exceed’ the figure by the end of June.

The timetable means AstraZeneca must deliver 15 million shots by July 26; a further 20 million by August 23 and 15 million by September 27. This is in addition to the 30 million given to bloc members when the legal proceedings began – failure would mean a penalty of €10 for every dose undelivered.

EU data shows the company has already sent 70 million doses with more than half delivered; bringing AstraZeneca close to the target.