Explained: Vaccine Feud Between European Union, AstraZeneca

The European Union approved use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine on Friday - but it is simultaneously feuding with the British-Swedish vaccine maker over delays in deliveries.

The 27-nation bloc plans to require any coronavirus vaccine produced in its territory to seek approval before export. It's seen as a move against AstraZeneca, after the company said that it had to cut down its initial EU deliveries due to production delays while continuing to supply Britain with doses.

Here's what you need to know:

Q: Which one is the AstraZeneca vaccine?

A: The vaccine, developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University, is cheaper and is easier to distribute - because of less demanding storage temperature requirements - than U.S. rivals Moderna and Pfizer, which worked with German partner BioNTech.

There have been worries about approving it for widespread use due to several gaps during clinical trials, including lack of significant data on the vaccine's efficacy in people 65 and older.

Q: Where has the vaccine been approved for use?

A: For now, the European Medicines Agency has approved the vaccine for anyone 18 and older, as have Britain and India. The United States is still awaiting further trials before issuing its recommendations. Germany, an E.U. member, is only offering it those under 65 years old for the time being.

Q: Why is there tension with the EU?

A: The EU agreed to pay AstraZeneca about $408 million upfront to help speed up its development of the vaccine. The European Union began vaccinating people in late December using the Moderna of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines.

But rollouts across the continent have hit snags. In late January, AstraZeneca warned that it would be delivering 60% less than expected of its doses in the first quarter. The company cited complications at a manufacturing site in Belgium.

The EU, in turn, accused AstraZeneca of failing to uphold its side of the agreement and threatened legal action.

"Europe invested billions to help develop the world's first coronavirus vaccines, to create a truly global common good," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told a virtual meeting of the World Economic Forum on Tuesday. "And now, the companies must deliver. They must honor their obligations."

Q: Where does Britain come in?

A: Britain was the first country to approve the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine for widespread use when it kicked off vaccinations on Dec. 8. The E.U. has accused AstraZeneca of filling its orders in Britain - no longer part of the political and economic union - while delaying deliveries to Europe.

Q: What does the World Health Organization say?

A: WHO has warned against the dangers of "vaccine nationalism" such as wealthier countries prioritizing vaccines for themselves.

"There is now the real danger that the very tools that could help to end [the pandemic], vaccines, may exacerbate those same inequalities," WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Friday.

On Saturday, the Guardian reported that WHO asked Britain to delay its inoculation program after vaccinating the country's most vulnerable so doses could be freed up for priority groups in other countries.

"We're asking all countries in those circumstances to do that," WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said. "Hang on, wait for those other groups."