Australian Prime Minister Scott
Morrison said Friday that he understands Italy after Rome halted
the export of a batch of 250,000 doses of the AstraZeneca
COVID-19 vaccine.
In halting the departure of the jabs, which came from a plant
near Rome, Italy became the first EU country to use a new
European mechanism on export controls.
The European Commission authorised the move in light of
AstraZeneca's failure to supply the vaccines it had pledged to
deliver in Europe and the fact that Australia is not a
vulnerable country.
"In Italy, people are dying at the rate of 300 a day. So I can
certainly understand the high level of anxiety that would exist
in Italy and in many countries across Europe," AFP quoted
Morrison as saying.
"They are in an unbridled crisis situation. That is not the
situation in Australia".
Reuters, however, reported that Australian Health Minister Greg
Hunt has asked the European Commission to revise the decision.
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