The European Commission says it will take action to secure COVID-19 vaccines produced by AstraZeneca.

It added that only one of the five plants listed in its contract with the drugmaker was delivering vaccines to the bloc.

The Anglo-Swedish company is aiming to deliver 100 million doses by June, a third of the original amount it committed to.

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Sandra Gallina, the European Union's health safety chief, did not hold back in her criticism of AstraZeneca.

Speaking at an EU briefing on Tuesday, she said there have been "serious problems and we intend to take action ... member states' vaccination programs have been made more difficult by a very bad performance from AstraZeneca."

She also said the process for approving Russia's Sputnik V vaccine will be the same as the procedures already completed for the four vaccines so far approved in the bloc made by Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.

Emer Cooke, the head of Europe's drug regulator, the European Medicines Agency, was answering questions from MEPs on Tuesday as well. She said that safety, quality and efficacy checks would be applied in approving other vaccines

France aims for vaccination boost

France's President Emmanuel Macron was also speaking on Tuesday and he said that from this weekend, everyone in the country over the age of 70 with no underlying health conditions would be able to get a vaccination.

Previously, only people in good health and over-75s could get the shot.

French citizens who are older than 50 can get vaccinated if they suffer from an underlying condition such as lung or heart disease or diabetes.

Macron also said that from next month, teachers will be able to get vaccinated.

The French leader said: "Our objective is to stop the spread of the virus and morning, noon and night we must focus on the vaccination program."

He added: "I want to be very clear – vaccinations are a national priority."

As well as lowering the age at which people can get a vaccination, mass-vaccination centers, or "vaccinodromes" are going to be set up, such as at the national stadium, the Stade de France, in Paris.

From next month, France hopes to accelerate its vaccination campaign, which has suffered from logistical backlogs, complex bureaucracy and misfiring dose deliveries.

As of March 21, 6.2 million people had received a first dose and 2.4 million had got both COVID-19 jabs.