New York, March 13 : Even as a severe supply constraints remain the biggest concern for many nations trying to accelerate the vaccine drive against Covid-19, tens of millions of AstraZeneca doses are lying idle in the US manufacturing facilities.
This is because results of the vaccine’s crucial clinical trial in the US are yet to be declared and the company has not yet applied for approval of the vaccine with the US regulators, The New York Times reported.
And even though the doses remain unused in the US, the country is reluctant to release them for use in other parts of the world where the vaccine has been approved.
More than 70 countries have approved the use of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, the NYT report said on Thursday, citing a company spokesperson.
However, the unused vaccine doses have triggered a debate among officials in the US with some favouring their release, while others stress on their preservation.
US President Joe Biden had earlier said that by the end of May, there should be enough vaccine doses for every adult in the country.
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