Germany saying AZ vaccine only 8% effective in over 65s *MNHQ noting that this story has been widely debunked*

[dbIdb]

What fresh hell is this.

Why, why, why was the Oxford trial/data reporting so sloppy?

How has it come to this??

I remember getting a lot of stick for suggesting a wait and see for how many U.K. vaccines would be done v EU last year

Wonder where that poster is now

(I voted remain anyway)

the EU is accountable to us, the citizens of the EU

Absolutely. And you should be asking questions about why EU citizens are not being vaccinated as fast as elsewhere. The EU took over negotiations on AZ, according to Peston, and this has delayed putting infrastructure in place for the (complex) supply chains needed to deliver at volume. The EU need to work with AZ, now, urgently. The AZ vaccine isn’t even approved yet. Politicians berating AZ on social media or launching public attacks isn’t going help.

The German Health Ministry and denied the story and said there has been confusion and it refers to the number of people in the study not the efficacy.

*has

AZ have taken our money but aren't supplying the goods.

But if the EU haven't approved the vaccine yet surely it's both practically and morally right to get it out to those countries who HAVE approved it.

the EU is accountable to us, the citizens of the EU

How? How are EU citizens going to punish the EU institution for its monumental vaccine fuck up?

No decent person would crow about this failure by the EU, surely we all want as many people in the world to be vaccinated as possible.

@MarshaBradyo I am a staunch remainer too but I have to say this kind of cock up does expose how an additional layer of meddling can slow things down.

From the start I realised it was a tantrum about the delay in supply. So not surprised about the findings this morning

Obviously I am upset about the negative press in terms of affecting take up too

What I am finding unsettling is the legislation possibly put through to make the vaccine companies decline sales, shipping and how much. In some ways it is understandable but it could be a slippery slope.

Our supply for the first 9 groups should be sold. Long term we need the new German Pfizer factory up and running full steam. Then there are less supply issues for the EU. Else Pfizer will become a problem at some stage.

What if the EU don’t approve the vaccine for a very long time? What would happen then? By the sounds of it Germany are suspicious of it anyway.

By the sounds of it Germany are suspicious of it anyway

Suspicious of it? What do they suspect?

The bloc are known to be a bureaucracy nightmare

Saw a good article in a German newspaper where they spoke about the vaccine roll out

The Germans didn't sound happy at the time that Merkel had tied them to the EU supply. This was a couple of months ago. Sounds like now she has brought separately. Hasn't she?

@FourTeaFallOut

By the sounds of it Germany are suspicious of it anyway

Suspicious of it? What do they suspect?

We are going to micro chip them of course 😂

[quote Blessex]@MarshaBradyo I am a staunch remainer too but I have to say this kind of cock up does expose how an additional layer of meddling can slow things down.[/quote]
Multi-national, bureaucratic organisations like the EU may be a good thing in many ways, but are pretty useless in a crisis. Centralised, authoritarian states like China do it better, which isn't to say most of us would like to live there the rest of the time.

We are going to micro chip them of course

Will it make them sing Rule Britannia every time the kettle goes?

Or 'Three lions'.

Yes quite Bless You couldn't actually make it up! As soon as I read the headline in the Times I thought exactly that too.

I totally understand why people are sad though across the continent, but the EU have been slow to get going on the vaccine front, that much is true, and they choose to back member states vaccines rather than go with the most ones that were likely to be successful. It was a mistake in policy, but hey what can you do! What can any of us do

I don't know why they are that peed off by AZ (who have informed them they cannot deliver the contracted number of vaccines to agreed timescales) when they haven't even approved the vaccine yet and are convinced it isn't effective anyway. Very weird behaviour on their part.

Germany have bought extra supplies (last week). Contrary to the rules set by the EU. One rule for the EU, one rule for Germany
link

I actually wonder if it is deeper than the vaccines - the fact the UK are now implementing quarantine hotels (with good reason) will kill the travel sector in southern Europe this year and possibly longer may have also something to do with it.

So did Hungary (Russian version that hasn't even been approved yet)

MaMa Unity did not seem to last for very long.

the EU is accountable to us, the citizens of the EU
You would think so but they've never taken their financial accountability seriously so I doubt they will account to their citizens for anything.

And Guiseppe Conte, in Italy, has just resigned. One of the reasons was disputes about the administration of the EU Covid Recovery Fund.

Hancock's little nah nah nah nah we have vaccinated more people in three days than France has during the whole pandemic. Really not going to of helped.

Sturgeon stupidity at saying about amount of vaccine we already have here. Such a wind up when other countries are still waiting

I am slightly more reassuring that at least the vaccine minister has a head on him. Read an interview from this morning. He is definitely the man we want in charge of the program I reckon.

@MaMaLa321 how do Germany get away with it? If another EU country did that there would consequences.

@MaMaLa321

Germany have bought extra supplies (last week). Contrary to the rules set by the EU. One rule for the EU, one rule for Germany link

Thanks. I thought that was what I heard.