London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 21, 2025

London warns Italy export ban on Covid-19 vaccine to Australia 'endangers global efforts to fight virus'

London warns Italy export ban on Covid-19 vaccine to Australia 'endangers global efforts to fight virus'

London has warned Brussels that export bans on Covid-19 doses to non-EU countries threaten the global jab rollout, after Italy stopped a shipment of AstraZeneca vaccine reaching Australia.
"We are all dependent on global supply chains, putting in place restrictions endangers global efforts to fight the virus," Reuters quotes UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's spokesperson as saying, explaining that the UK expects the EU to honour its commitments.

It emerged on Thursday that Italy had prevented 250,700 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine reaching Australia, in the first such move by an EU member state since new vaccine export rules took effect in January.

Johnson recently spoke to the President of the EU's executive, Ursula Von der Leyen, who told him that new EU rules were for "transparency," not to restrict vaccine exports, the spokesperson said.

Italy made its move under new measures the EU announced in January, which require member states to authorize vaccine deliveries before they are shipped outside the bloc, in an effort to safeguard Europe's own supply of jabs.

The legislation was brought in after a huge row was sparked between Brussels and London in January due to AstraZeneca's announcement it would cut by more than half the number of jabs delivered to the EU due to production issues.

The EU has reportedly stood by Italy's decision to halt the vaccine, which was taken at the end of last week, the Financial Times reported on Thursday.

The Italian Foreign Ministry has defended the move on the basis that there is already a limited supply of the AstraZeneca vaccine to the EU and that Australia has fared better than some European nations in terms of Covid-19 infections.

On Friday Australia's Prime Minister Scott Morrison also said that he understood Italy's decision due to the "unbridled crisis situation" faced by the EU, which he said is not the case in Australia.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
×