A spokeswoman for Pfizer declined to comment on Wednesday over Italy's legal threat and criticism regarding delivery delays beyond its statement on Friday about supply cuts. The drugmaker said last week it was temporarily slowing supplies of its coronavirus vaccine to Europe to make manufacturing changes that would boost output. Pfizer, which is trying to deliver millions of doses at a breakneck pace to curb a pandemic that has already killed more than 2 million people worldwide, said the changes would "provide a significant increase in doses in late February and March". According to an Italian source, Rome is now trying to assess whether Pfizer is acting under force majeure, or circumstances beyond its control. If not, the drug group could be accused of breaching the contract it has signed with the European Union on state members' behalf, the source said. One possibility could be for Rome to call on the European Union to present a lawsuit to a court in Belgium's capital, Brussels, the source said.