Romania has agreed to sell 1.17 million doses of excess Pfizer/BioNTech (PFE.N), vaccines to Denmark, the Danish health ministry said on Tuesday.

"We can do this deal because Romania is experiencing low vaccination backing and therefore wants to sell excess vaccines which they won't be able to use," Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said in a statement.

Romania has missed a goal to vaccinate 5 million people by the end of May, with just over a fifth of the population - 4.47 million people - inoculated. Vaccine hesitancy is spreading amid entrenched distrust in state institutions, misinformation campaigns and weak vaccine education.

The Danish serum institute said it expects the first vaccines to arrive from Romania this week.