BRUSSELS, March 17 (Reuters) - The European Union on
Wednesday threatened to take tougher measures to curb the export
of COVID-19 vaccines, escalating an ongoing row with Britain and
the Unites States over their restrictive handling of vaccine
deliveries to the 27-nation bloc.
"If this situation does not change, we will have to reflect
on how to make exports to vaccine-producing countries dependent
on their level of openness," EU Commission President Ursula von
der Leyen told a news conference.
She said Europe just wants to make sure it gets its fair
share.
"We are ready to use whatever tools we need to deliver on
that," von der Leyen said.
She warned that the bloc "will reflect on whether exports to
countries who have higher vaccination rates than us are still
proportionate".
In the six weeks from Jan. 30, when the EU put in place a
system requiring authorisation of vaccine exports, drugmakers
shipped 9.1 million doses to Britain and 1 million to the United
States from EU plants.
(Reporting by Foo Yun Chee)