Prognosis
Astra Vaccine Haunts Countries That Shunned More Expensive Shots
- Nations that relied on AstraZeneca doses falling behind others
- Astra drastically reduced its second-quarter deliveries
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Five countries that turned away more expensive Pfizer Inc. covid doses in favor of a cheaper version from AstraZeneca Plc are paying the price.
Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia and Slovakia, which declined part of their Pfizer allotments to wait for Astra doses, are among the slowest in the bloc to administer vaccines, according to a European Union document seen by Bloomberg. While Pfizer has met its commitments, Astra has delivered just 30 million of its originally committed 120 million doses in the first quarter.