Norway’s health ministry reported on Thursday on fewer doses of AstraZeneca vaccine previously expected to receive between 890,0000 to 1,670,000 doses in the period from April to June, Local Norway said.
Despite the preliminary plan, the covid-19 vaccine supplier AstraZeneca will deliver to Norway up to one million fewer doses. As the National Institute for Public Health (NIPH) clarified, during April, May and June, that it will be receiving approximately 670,000 doses only.
“This is an approximately 60 percent reduction in the second quarter, if we take into account the most optimistic estimate,” Knut Jønsrud, head of department for vaccine supply for NIPH.
The unexpected AstraZeneca move will definitely have an impact on NIPH’s vaccine program, although the national health service operates with plans for both an optimistic and a pessimistic scenario.
Meantime, NIPH on Friday paused the use of the AstraZeneca jab as a precaution over fears of a link to blood clots, which is now working to update its schedule.
Despite the unexpected changes in AstraZeneca’s supplying, Norway announced that another vaccine supplier, Johnson & Johnson, would be delivering over 900,000 doses beginning in mid-April. The nationwide immunization programme will work as planned.
The cut in the number of vaccines being reduced is due to the AstraZeneca halving the number of doses it planned to send to the EU.
Neighbouring Denmark will also receive almost one million fewer doses between April, May and June as a result of AstraZeneca reducing its expected supply to the EU.
