Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine

A shipment of more than a quarter million AstraZeneca vaccines destined for Australia has been blocked from leaving the European Union, in the first use of an export control system instituted by the bloc to make sure big pharma companies would respect their contracts.

Italy has activated the European Union's vaccine export ban to block a shipment of life-saving jabs being sent to Australia.

Italian government triggered the mechanism to stop 250,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from being sent outside the bloc. It notified the European Commission who signed off on blockade as part of its vaccine export transparency scheme.

The National anti-COVID Vaccination Coordination Committee (CNCAV) informs that according to data provided by the National Public Health Institute through the National Electronic Vaccinations Registry app, 43,738 people have received the anti-coronavirus jab in the past 24 hours, with 29,289 injected with the Pfizer vaccine, 7.607 with AstraZeneca and 6,842 with the Moderna serum.

Germany will soon authorize the AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine for people over the age of 65, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday, the same day Belgium authorized its rollout to seniors.

The countries - both criticized for the slow pace of their inoculation drives - had previously said there was insufficient data about the effect of the vaccine on older age groups.

Ljubljana – Slovenia is planning to start mass vaccination of teachers against Covid-19 next week, Jelko Kacin, the coordinator for the logistics of mass vaccination, announced as he visited a vaccination point in Ljubljana on Wednesday.

The National Committee for anti-COVID vaccination (CNCAV) informs that in the last 24 hours there were 38,695 vaccine doses administered, of which 30,006 - Pfizer and 8,679 - AstraZeneca and 10 from Moderna, according to the data provided by the National Institute of Public Health (INSP), through the National Electronic Vaccination Registry.

South Korean authorities are investigating the deaths of two people, both with pre-existing conditions, who died within days of receiving AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine.

The National COVID Vaccination Coordination Committee (CNCAV) informs that according to data provided by the National Public Health Institute through the National Electronic Vaccinations Registry app, 38,158 people have received the coronavirus jab in the past 24 hours, with 28,693 injected with the Pfizer vaccine and 9,465 with the AstraZeneca serum.

Again, lines are meandering outside vaccination sites in Sofia, which today have vaccines available. In the capital, "green corridors" work in the hospital "St. Ivan Rilski" and "Alexandrovska" hospitals, reported bTV.

Some people lined up as early as 8 a.m.

Older people from the queue were vaccinated with priority. Lack of organization, however, has created turmoil.

At the time, media reports indicated that another 200,000 doses of the Russian vaccine would arrive by the end of the month, alongside 200,000 to 250,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine and some 23,000 doses of Pfizer, which would be distributed across Bosnia.