PRAGUE, Feb 15 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca has asked the
Czech authorities about possible demand for more vaccine later
this year, but any supplies would have to comply with European
Union agreements, the company and Czech Health Minister Jan
Blatny said on Monday.
A Czech news website reported on Saturday that the Czech
Health Ministry was in talks with the company on extra supplies
in addition to the 3 million already ordered, but it was not
clear if these would be compliant with the country's EU
commitment not to negotiate separately.
Vaccine supplies have been an explosive topic in Europe
after producers cut back shipments.
Blatny said many or all European Union countries had been
contacted by the company to gauge interest in supplies in the
second half of this year under existing agreements with the EU.
"It is in no way the ministry's intention to act at variance
with these contracts," he told a news conference.
AstraZeneca's Health Care Affairs Director for the Czech
Republic and Slovakia Jarmila Doleckova told Reuters the company
was enquiring about preliminary interest in supplies on top of
the 300 million doses agreed with the European Commission, which
would fall under an optional 100 million increase.
"The current agreement with the EU allows for an additional
increase by further 100 million doses," she said in an emailed
response to Reuters questions.
"This question was thus raised so we could, in case of
interest, secure in advance sufficient production capacity in
the second half of 2021."
(Reporting by Jan Lopatka; editing by Barbara Lewis)