Pfizer halves vaccine supply estimate

US pharma giant Pfizer has said that it will deliver 50 million doses this year of its COVID-19 vaccine, which was developed by German firm BioNTech.

The new forecast represents half of the 100 million doses the firm had originally hoped to deliver, a company spokeswoman told US newspaper The Wall Street Journal. 

Pfizer blamed supply chain problems for the reduction in its delivery target, saying it took longer than expected to ramp up the supply of raw materials.

The firm added that the results of a clinical study were available later than expected, which also played a role in halving the delivery target. 

The BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine is reported to be 95% effective against coronavirus and has already been approved by both the United Kingdom and Bahrain, which has followed in the footsteps of the UK by granting emergency use authorization for the vaccine. So far just two countries have announced they are ready to begin inoculating their citizens.

Main Photo: A view of the Pfizer production site in Puurs near Antwerp, Belgium. EPA-EFE/STEPHANIE LECOCQ

Read more via The Wall Street Journal