LONDON, Jan 29 (Reuters) - Scotland will publish COVID-19
detailed vaccine supply data next week even though the British
government has so far refused to do so amid a row between the
European Union and drug companies such as AstraZeneca
over delayed deliveries.
Europe's fight to secure vaccines intensified on Thursday
when the EU warned drug companies that it would use all legal
means or even block exports unless they agreed to deliver shots
as promised.
Scottish First Minister Nicolas Sturgeon, fielding questions
about the pace of the vaccine rollout, said that vaccine supply
data would be published from next week even though the British
government had demanded it not publish such data.
"I think we'll just go back to publishing the actual supply
figures from next week, so that we all have transparency around
that," Sturgeon told the Scottish parliament on Thursday.
The EU's contract with AstraZeneca for its COVID-19 vaccine
contains binding orders, EU Commision Head Ursula von der Leyen
said on Friday, demanding a plausible explanation from the
drugmaker for delivery hold-ups.
(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge and Alistair Smout)