EU slightly cuts estimates for vaccine deliveries this year

BRUSSELS - The European Commission estimates European Union countries will receive about 900 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the second half of the year, compared to nearly 1 billion shots it expected a month ago, an internal document showed.

The document, which the EU executive shared with EU leaders at a summit in Brussels on Thursday, also showed the EU is forecast to receive fewer doses in the first half of the year, compared to its own predictions in late May. This is not expected to affect the EU's target of vaccinating 70% of its adult population in the summer, but it indicates that supply difficulties may still force changes in vaccine rollouts.