The European Union is offering only partial protection to vaccine makers against legal risks from side-effects of their potential Covid-19 shots, European officials said, in a move that is hampering deals and contrasts with US policy.
With vaccines being developed at record speed during the pandemic, there is potentially a greater risk they may have unexpected consequences or may not be effective.
The financial coverage of these liabilities is a key feature of drug makers' talks with governments keen to secure vaccine shots in advance.
In these extraordinary circumstances, EU governments "are ready to financially cover certain [elements] of the companies' risks", an EU official told Reuters.