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France Backs Italy’s Decision to Block AstraZeneca Exports

  • Italy withholds 250,700 AstraZeneca doses bound for Australia
  • French health minister said France could take similar action
ITALY-HEALTH-VIRUS-VACCINE

Photographer: Tiziana Fabi/AFP/Getty Images

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France backed Italy’s decision to halt a shipment of AstraZeneca Plc’s coronavirus shots to Australia as tensions escalate over global supplies of the vaccines, signaling that other European Union states could take similar measures.

“Of course I understand Italy,” French Health Minister Olivier Veran said during an interview with RMC radio. “We could do the same thing.”