Pfizer to reduce vaccine deliveries to Europe, says Norway

Pfizer will temporarily reduce its deliveries to Europe of its vaccine against COVID-19 while it upgrades its production capacity, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health said on Friday. "We received this message today a little before 10am (0900 GMT).

Pfizer will temporarily reduce its deliveries to Europe of its vaccine against COVID-19 while it upgrades its production capacity, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health said on Friday.

"We received this message today a little before 10am (0900 GMT). We had expected 43,875 vaccines doses from Pfizer in week 3 (next week). Now it appears that we will get 36,075 doses," the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) said in a statement. The reduction in deliveries is due to Pfizer limiting output so that it can upgrade production capacity to 2 billion vaccine doses per year from 1.3 billion currently, the FHI said.

"This temporary reduction will affect all European countries," said the FHI. "It is as yet not precisely clear how long time it will take before Pfizer is up to maximum production capacity again."