Mamma Mia!
Italian police found millions of unreported doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine during a factory raid – causing fears that the shots were hidden amid a spit distribution between the European Union and Britain, according to reports on Wednesday.
Up to 29 million doses of the vaccine – almost double the amount the European Union has received from the drug company so far – were discovered at a pharmaceutical factory in Anagni over the weekend, Italian newspaper La Stampa reported.
The jabs were initially targeted at the UK, then later blocked by Italy, after new rules on vaccine exports were introduced last month, EU sources told the newspaper.
But Italy was unaware of the vaccines until EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton launched an investigation into their whereabouts – then told Italian police about the factory, according to the newspaper.
“On Saturday, the European Commission asked the prime minister to check several batches of vaccine at a production plant in Anagni. The Prime Minister informed the Minister of Health, who ordered an inspection between Saturday and Sunday, carried out by [Italian authorities]An official told The Independent. “The lots that were inspected were destined for Belgium.”
Belgium, which is part of the European Union, is stuck in heated negotiations with the United Kingdom over a vaccine distribution plan, authorities said.
The jabs could have been manufactured at the Halix plant in the Netherlands, which is still awaiting approval by the European Medicines Agency, Italian media reports said.
The Italian Ministry of Health said it was investigating the incident at the factory.
AstraZeneca said most of the 29 million doses at the plant were for EU countries, and the rest were for poor countries under the World Health Organization’s COVAX plan.
“There are currently no planned exports except to COVAX countries. There are 13 million doses of vaccine waiting for the release of quality control to be sent to COVAX, “the company told The Independent.
The remaining 16 million doses will be shipped to Europe this month and in April, after quality control approval, the company said.
The raid comes after AstraZeneca was attacked by the European Commission in connection with the delivery targets missed in recent weeks.
The vaccine has been licensed in more than 50 countries, but has not yet received a green light in the United States.