Pfizer, BioNTech to limit delays of vaccine shipments to one week

After fears in Europe that shipments of the jabs could be slowed for up to a month, Pfizer and BioNTech on Saturday said they will limit the delays of their vaccine deliveries to just one week,

In a joint statement the US drug maker and its German partner "have developed a plan to enable manufacturing capacities to increase in Europe and to deliver significantly more doses in the second quarter."

“As a result, our facility in Puurs, Belgium will experience a temporary reduction in the number of doses delivered in the upcoming week.”

Pfizer and BioNTech pledged that deliveries would be back to the original schedule to the European Union from the week of January 25, with increased delivery from the week of February 15.

“To accomplish this, certain modifications of production processes are required now.”

Pfizer had said Friday it would delay shipments of the jabs over the next three to four weeks due to works at its key plant in Belgium.

It said the modifications at the Puurs factory were necessary in order to ramp up its production capacity from mid-February.

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In hard-hit Europe, the statement raised concerns that the delays could further slow a vaccine rollout that has already faced heavy criticism.

On Friday, six EU health ministers signed a letter to the EU Commission expressing "serious concern" over delays in delivery. 

The record-breaking Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, first approved by the western world for general use on 2 December when Britain granted it the freedom to do so. Just the first time the West was approved.