Coronavirus: AstraZeneca CEO hits back at ‘aggravated’ and ‘emotional’ EU
Pharmaceutical boss denies claim doses have been sold to higher bidder

A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot has defended his company’s rollout of the Oxford Covid vaccine in the EU, describing its member states as “aggravated” and “emotional”.
After European leaders reacted with outrage at news that vaccine doses would be delayed, European Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said on Monday it was “not acceptable”, with Italy and Latvia threatening to sue the drugmaker.
Speaking to Italian newspaper La Repubblica, Soriot said the number that will be delivered is “not so bad”, adding that AstraZeneca only committed to meet demand to its “best effort”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Soriot also rejected the suggestions that his company had diverted doses meant for the EU to higher bidders, insisting “we make no profit everywhere” under the agreement signed with Oxford University.
“We’re certainly not taking vaccines away from the Europeans to sell it somewhere else at the profit,” he said. “It would not make sense.”
The interview also included two boosts for Boris Johnson, with the first coming when Soriot “rejected calls to divert doses to the European Union following a breakdown in supply”, The Guardian says.
“The UK agreement was reached in June, three months before the European one,” he told La Repubblica. “As you could imagine, the UK government said the supply coming out of the UK supply chain would go for the UK first. Basically, that’s how it is.”
Soriot also gave his backing to the government’s strategy of delaying the second vaccine in order to get the first dose to people more quickly. “I think the UK one-dose strategy is absolutely the right way to go, at least for our vaccine,” he said.
“First of all, we believe that the efficacy of one dose is sufficient: 100% protection against severe disease and hospitalisation, and 71-73% of efficacy overall. The second dose is needed for long term protection. But you get a better efficiency if you get the second dose later than earlier.”
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Chas Newkey-Burden has been part of The Week Digital team for more than a decade and a journalist for 25 years, starting out on the irreverent football weekly 90 Minutes, before moving to lifestyle magazines Loaded and Attitude. He was a columnist for The Big Issue and landed a world exclusive with David Beckham that became the weekly magazine’s bestselling issue. He now writes regularly for The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Independent, Metro, FourFourTwo and the i new site. He is also the author of a number of non-fiction books.
-
What to know when filing a hurricane insurance claim
The Explainer A step-by-step to figure out what insurance will cover and what else you can do beyond filing a claim
By Becca Stanek Published
-
How fees impact your investment portfolio — and how to save on them
The Explainer Even seemingly small fees can take a big bite out of returns
By Becca Stanek Published
-
Enemy without
Cartoons
By The Week Staff Published
-
Will Rishi Sunak's green wedge issue win over the public?
Today's Big Question The PM draws dividing line with Labour on net zero ahead of the next general election
By Sorcha Bradley Published
-
Industry backlash as Sunak set to water down green pledges
Speed Read Automotive and energy bosses look for clarity after PM backs away from UK net zero goal
By Arion McNicoll Published
-
October by-elections: what's at stake for Labour, Lib Dems and Tories
Parties will contest two former safe Tory seats on 19 October, putting pressure on Rishi Sunak
By Harriet Marsden Published
-
Jobs for the boys: does the UK need a minister for men?
Conservative MP calls for dedicated cabinet role to combat 'crisis' in men's mental health and education
By Harriet Marsden Published
-
Potential fifth by-election headache for Rishi Sunak after Chris Pincher report
Speed Read Former Conservative whip faces suspension from the House of Commons over sexual misconduct
By Rebekah Evans Published
-
Covid inquiry: what we have heard so far
feature Public inquiry hears damning evidence from scientists amid finger-pointing from ministers and civil servants alike
By Arion McNicoll Published
-
The make-or-break by-elections facing Rishi Sunak
feature The resignation of Boris Johnson and his allies Nadine Dorries and Nigel Adams spells trouble for PM
By Sorcha Bradley Published
-
Post-Partygate: time for a Cabinet reshuffle?
Talking Point Rishi Sunak may be ready to promote ‘younger faces’ after Boris Johnson drama
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published