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Coronavirus: Moderna delays vaccine deliveries across Europe, elsewhere

Shortfalls in COVID-19 vaccine deliveries from US drugmaker Moderna have spread across Europe, as Italy joined France and Switzerland in announcing the company’s shipments for February would miss expectations.
Moderna told Reuters it had revised short-term delivery guidance for Europe and elsewhere outside the United States based on the “ramp-up trajectory” at its drug substance supplier, which is Swiss contract drug manufacturer Lonza. The company said in normal circumstances the industrial launch of a vaccine could take three to four years to prepare.
Italy now expects Moderna to deliver 20 percent fewer vaccine doses than promised in the week starting on Feb. 7, Italy’s special commissioner for COVID-19 said on Friday, a day after neighboring France and Switzerland announced similar shortfalls.
European countries are now grappling with broad vaccine delays, at least temporarily, as all Western vaccine makers with approved shots - Moderna, Pfizer and its German partner BioNtech, and AstraZeneca - fall behind their initial delivery targets.

AstraZeneca and the European Union are already embroiled in a dispute over deliveries, while Pfizer said it needed to slow production at a Belgian plant in order to increase it in the long term.
Moderna’s Europe-bound vaccine makes a long, complex journey from contract drug manufacturer Lonza in Switzerland to fill-and-finish facilities in Spain to a Belgian logistics centre before it is shipped out.
“Moderna confirms that, as it scales manufacturing, it is on track to supply the next three months of deliveries and meet its Q1 and subsequent contractual commitments,” Moderna said.
“Moderna remains in close contact with all governments, recognizing the importance of delivery planning for vaccination rollout.”
Lonza did not immediately comment on Friday. Lonza has previously said its Swiss plants will take “a couple of months” to reach “cruising speed.”
On Thursday, France said it expected 25 percent fewer doses of Moderna vaccines, just after Switzerland said Moderna would not meet its February target, jeopardizing the country’s 1
million-vaccine-dose delivery target for the month.
Canada said it should receive 78 percent of the doses it had expected in a shipment due next week.
Switzerland’s Federal Health Ministry did say it expected Moderna to make good on shortfalls in March, and that the company would reach its first-quarter targets.
Among Moderna’s confirmed global orders, the United States is due 200 million doses, the European Commission 160 million, Japan 50 million, Canada 40 million, South Korea 40 million, Switzerland 7.5 million, and Britain 17 million doses, with other markets including Israel, Qatar and Singapore also due vaccine, based on information from the company.
Moderna has committed to producing at least 600 million doses of its vaccine in 2021.
source: Reuters
Image source: AFP
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BENEFIT Sponsors BuildHer...
- April 23, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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