VIENNA, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Austria, Greece and Denmark will
jointly pressure the European Medicines Agency to approve
AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine as quickly as possible,
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Monday, adding:
"Every week counts."
Kurz was speaking before a European leaders' virtual summit
on Thursday, and a day after he said Austria's lockdown was
being extended until at least Feb. 7 as it tries to contain
highly infectious new variants.
EMA, the EU drugs regulator, said last week it would review
the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Britain's Oxford
University this month under an accelerated timeline.
"Every week counts," Kurz told a news conference after a
video call with various countries on dealing with the virus. "We
expect that work be done day and night, that a decision be
reached unbureaucratically and that Europe not fall behind.
"What is now needed is - based on all scientific facts, of
course - an immediate and quick decision, because AstraZeneca
can deliver up to two million doses in the first quarter for
Austria alone, and that of course makes an enormous difference
to our success in vaccinating the population."
Austria has a population of just under nine million people.
Kurz also said part of the already-approved vaccine doses
being supplied by Pfizer would arrive late, after Pfizer said it
was temporarily reducing deliveries to Europe.
"Yes, there will now have to be a small adjustment here or
there because it currently seems as though we will receive 20%
less, which will then be caught up in February at the latest,"
Kurz said.
(Reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Astrazeneca (AZN)
