The European Union's been called out by Jacinda Ardern for its new restrictions on the Covid-19 vaccine.
Speaking over the weekend, Ardern told media that “the world cannot afford vaccine nationalism right now”.
"We as a nation have always said that given what we are seeing overseas, we are very willing to be patient. However, there is still a duty to make sure the world's healthcare workers and those that are at the frontline are protected as well."
The EU has put in place controls on vaccines that are bound for countries outside of the EU, including New Zealand and Australia.
Both the Pfizer and the AstraZeneca vaccines are made in the EU, and Medicines New Zealand says the move could jeopardise global supply of the vaccines.
Nina Obermaier, the European Union Ambassador to New Zealand, told Heather du Plessis-Allan that the EU has instructed customs to check exports against advance purchase agreements.
“We’ve concluded advance purchase agreements with a number of companies, just as New Zealand has done, and we want to make sure all these advance purchase agreements are honoured.”
She says the EU’s aim is to increase transparency so all advance purchase agreements are honoured, including for New Zealand.
Obermaier says that there are concerns around reselling and trafficking that they are trying to protect.
She does not believe these measures will delay the arrival of our first round of Pfizer agreements.
“I don’t expect that to be delayed, as advance purchase authorisations are checked against existing advance purchase agreements, including for New Zealand.”
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