Where is the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine made? The dispute between the EU and the vaccine manufacturer explained

The EU has accused the manufacturer of a slow rollout to member states

The AstraZeneca vaccine is predominantly manufactured in the UK (Getty Images)

AstraZeneca are locked in a bitter dispute with the EU due to a shortfall of doses for member states.

The European Union has threatened to impose tight controls on the export of coronavirus vaccines made in the bloc, potentially impacting the UK’s supply of Pfizer jabs.

Facing criticism of a slow rollout in the EU, the European Commission threatened to impose controls on vaccines that would affect the Belgium-manufactured Pfizer vaccine.

Why the dispute?

The EU, led by European health commissioner Stella Kyriakides, accused pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, which worked with Oxford University on the vaccine’s development, of failing to give a valid explanation for failing to deliver doses to the bloc.

Warning the EU “will take any action required to protect its citizens and rights”, she said in a broadcast address that an “export transparency mechanism” will be installed “as soon as possible”.

“In the future, all companies producing vaccines against Covid-19 in the EU will have to provide early notification whenever they want to export vaccines to third countries,” she said.

Where is the Astrazeneca vaccine produced?

Initially the vaccine was manufactured in the Netherlands and Germany.

Manufacturing lead for the UK’s Vaccine Taskforce, Ian McCubbin, explained: “The initial supply – and it’s a little bit of a quirk of the programme – actually comes from the Netherlands and Germany.

“But once that’s supplied, which we expect will be all by the end of this year, then the remainder of the supply will be a UK supply chain.”

Now the vaccine is being produced in Oxford and Keele.

Will the UK’s rollout be impacted by supply chain issues?

Number 10 said it was not expecting vaccine supply levels to change, amid the row.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “AstraZeneca are committed to delivering two million doses a week to the UK and we are not expecting any changes to that.

“I was asked earlier this week about the Pfizer vaccine and I said supplies will be lower this month and next as it upgrades its factory but it will then increase production in March. Projection of volumes of delivery remain the same for that period.”

Asked what the UK would do if there was a block placed on the Pfizer vaccine arriving from Belgium, the spokesman said: “I’m not going to get into hypotheticals.

“We continue to work closely with our suppliers and I’ve pointed to the fact that we’re confident of our supplies.”

The vaccines minister said he was confident the UK will continue to receive its deliveries of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab despite the threat of a block on vaccine exports.

Nadhim Zahawi said the UK’s vaccination programme was still on track, including offering all adults a first dose by the autumn and 15 million of the most vulnerable a jab by February 15.