Britain says it expects its vaccine contracts to be facilitated

"We expect contracts to be facilitated," Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said. "We work closely with AstraZeneca as we have done since the vaccination programme and the work to develop a vaccine got under way (...) AstraZeneca has clearly stated they will be able to provide 2 million vaccine doses a week and we've said we will get that to people as quickly as possible." The European Union published its contract with AstraZeneca on Friday, which said the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker should use facilities in Britain as well as continental Europe in its best efforts to manufacture its vaccines for the EU.

Britain said it expected its COVID-19 vaccine contracts to be "facilitated", after a row between the European Union and AstraZeneca about its own supplies deepened on Friday. "We expect contracts to be facilitated," Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesman said.

"We work closely with AstraZeneca as we have done since the vaccination programme and the work to develop a vaccine got under way (...) AstraZeneca has clearly stated they will be able to provide 2 million vaccine doses a week and we've said we will get that to people as quickly as possible." The European Union published its contract with AstraZeneca on Friday, which said the Anglo-Swedish drugmaker should use facilities in Britain as well as continental Europe in its best efforts to manufacture its vaccines for the EU. Asked whether Britain would publish its own contract, the spokesman said it was policy not to discuss contractual matters.