'Every week counts' as Austria, Greece, Denmark seek quick EU OK for AstraZeneca vaccine

Austria, Greece and Denmark will jointly pressure the European Medicines Agency to approve AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine as quickly as possible, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on Monday, adding: "Every week counts."

Kurz was speaking before a European leaders' virtual summit on Thursday, and a day after he said Austria's lockdown was being extended until at least Feb. 7 as it tries to contain highly infectious new variants.

EMA, the EU drugs regulator, said last week it would review the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Britain's Oxford University this month under an accelerated timeline.

"Every week counts," Kurz told a news conference after a video call with various countries on dealing with the virus. "We expect that work be done day and night, that a decision be reached unbureaucratically and that Europe not fall behind.

"What is now...