(Adds details)
BERLIN, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Germany said it expected to
receive 16 million doses of AstraZeneca's coronavirus
vaccine in the second quarter, the health ministry said.
That could represent a shortfall from the company's
commitments to deliver about twice that number of doses to
Germany in that quarter, according to the leaked contract with
the EU.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that delivery volumes to the
European Union were expected to be at half the level AstraZeneca
had contracted to supply in the second quarter.
Germany's 16 million doses are in line with this possible
shortfall, because the country was expected to receive about 34
million shots of the 180 million AstraZeneca agreed to supply
the EU in the second quarter, according to a German health
ministry internal document seen by Reuters and the leaked
contract between AstraZeneca and the EU.
In its statement on Wednesday, the health ministry confirmed
the German forecasts on deliveries contained in the internal
document, which were not previously public.
According to the document, dated Feb. 22, Germany is
expected to receive 33.8 million doses from AstraZeneca in the
third quarter, beyond the timeline set in the EU contract, which
envisages the completion of initial deliveries by the end of
June.
In total Germany expects from AstraZeneca 56.3 million doses
under the EU contract, which is equal to 18,7% of 300 million
doses for the EU.
"In calculating the numbers of doses available to regions,
the Health Ministry has always borne in mind that the
AstraZeneca vaccine was authorised later than we had expected it
to be in the autumn," the health ministry said.
(Reporting by Riham Alkousaa, editing by Thomas Escritt and
Douglas Busvine
Editing by Giles Elgood)