OSLO (Reuters) – Pfizer has cut July deliveries of its COVID-19 vaccine to Norway by 400,000 doses, delaying the Nordic country’s vaccine rollout, the company and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) told Reuters on Thursday.

The news was first reported by Norwegian daily VG, citing Pfizer’s Norwegian arm, and Geir Bukholm, Director of Infection Prevention and Control at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.

Pfizer, a major provider of vaccines to Norway which has dropped Astrazeneca’s jab and only offering J&J’s Jenssen vaccine under certain conditions, will now provide 800,000 doses in July, from the earlier estimated 1.2 million doses, Pfizer Norway confirmed to Reuters.

As a consequence, Norway’s vaccination programme will be delayed by one to two weeks compared to its earlier estimate, FHI said.

Prime Minister Erna Solberg said on May 12 the government aimed to offer a first dose to all those aged 18 and over by July 25.

(Reporting by Victoria Klesty; Editing by Alistair Bell)