AZ - EU contract published

[Davros]

Breaking news on BBC

@SushiSoozie

But, no, the EU are playing public politics for their home audience

And you think the UK arent?

AZ haven’t been drawn into it at press conference

What have U.K. said that makes you say this?

There hasn’t been much from government

[quote Floppywin]@Wherrsmaclickypen electorates can demand more, citizens of EU cannot demand more of the EU.

Key word electorates - you can't do a clean sweep at the EU, ever.

Have you seen Macron's comments discrediting the AZ vaccine today? That sort of thing really hampers any end to the pandemic - can you not see how damaging and irresponsible that is?[/quote]
see my note re politicians. I am neither anti or pro EU (or indeed UK) at this point) as I dont have enough facts at this point to understand. The general public may never know what goes on behind the scenes., I am pretty sure pharma have really stepped up and are navigating difficult waters in terms of supply, demand and moral imperatives.

Oh that Coronapizza thing is nasty - just looked it up. What were they thinking?

And you think the UK arent?

I thought the gov haven't commented much?

@marbellamarc
I disagree, if the EU is using the vaccine as a political tool than the UK should do the same, and any surplus should go to a country with high population and high resentment to build ties with that country and shit stir from outside the EU. With that in mind i think any surplus vaccine should go to Italy. Not like the UK has anything to lose. It would also be a direct reverse mirroring of Germany's blocking of masks to Italy. Machiavellian, me? 😂

@SushiSoozie

But, no, the EU are playing public politics for their home audience

And you think the UK arent?

Can you link to any relevant comments by British leaders? Boris Johnson was refusing to comment at the last press conference.

@SushiSoozie what have the uk goverment said ? Can you link as I think they have been pretty silent and not really got involved as yet.

@NebbiaZanzare

Coronapizza was a "comedy" sketch on French TV, might have been state TV at that. Basically taking the piss out of Italy as Plague Nation of Europe.

That's really disturbing-I found the images coming from Italy absolutely devastating (exhausted medics, jammed packed hospitals, the deaths). I know it's not much different in places now but Italy was the first in Europe (if not the world) to really suffer and we all saw what was going on.

I have Irish family, it is coming

But when? Ireland has been directly hit by this logjam.

The UK offered to work jointly with Ireland to procure vaccines as a two-island approach and Ireland said no, they'd rather go with the EU.

Ireland is so blindly pro-EU that I have doubts as to whether they could be gracious enough to accept vaccines from the UK.

@marbellamarc

Plus if we did have "spare" Ireland would surely be the obvious candidate because of the border.

As part of the controls the EU have evoked Article 16, which might make that very difficult

@SushiSoozie - yes I've been unable to find anything that backs up your version of how UK are behaving - the Oxford/AZ people are impressive and I can't see anything from our government other than confirming that our supply is secured and not entering into war of words that EU are publicly playing all by themselves really, which is why they look so stupid.

@Mingmoo

My dad is in his 90s and lives on his own, in an EU country where they are waiting patiently for the vaccines. He has two serious medical conditions and he is very high risk but without vaccination he has very little company and he's terribly lonely. Also it's risky for me to see him and care for him. I'd like to think that IF the UK gets to a stage where they are vaccinating people like me, who are healthy and mid-40s with no underlying conditions, AZ might divert more of their production to EU countries who signed up later. It doesn't feel ethical to say 'first come, first served' in the circumstances.

I agree but it seems that the EU expects AstraZeneca to export vaccine from the UK to the EU before the vulnerable groups in the UK are vaccinated.

Ireland will do anything to not align with the UK, despite having an entire economy and pop culture based on the UK's. It has essentially become a vassal state to the EU and a tax haven.

The UK offered to work jointly with Ireland to procure vaccines as a two-island approach and Ireland said no, they'd rather go with the EU.

Really? I hadn't heard that.

I pretty sure my Irish aunt got a letter but I could be wrong.

Another relative who is younger & lives 50/50 Ireland/England is livid as they got an invite 3 weeks ago here but nothing in Ireland.

What is article 16?

EU triggering article 16 is making waves on twitter. I want to understand the implications. The DUP are furious.

When all said and done all this is no good for anyone
We all need and want vaccines so many are struggling
Surely going forward it should be about getting supplies up for the benefit of all

Seems like the UK is going to have to bail Europe out (again) and let them have their vaccines

The U.K. is part of Europe, as many leading Brexiters take great pains to point out. The question is what kind of relationship it wants going forward with its European allies/key trade/security partners.

The UK offered to work jointly with Ireland to procure vaccines as a two-island approach and Ireland said no, they'd rather go with the EU.

I didn't know that

@cyclingmad

I do find it amusing though , so many people think bojo is useless yet this useless man has been smart and shown up the EU, imagine being Merkel or Macron and being out smartest by bojo, can be good for their egos as we are now seeing

Now let's not go BoJo mad. He got this one right re pulling out all stops re vaccines. He did promise he'd pour whatever money into funding and buying vaccines and he has done but it wasn't about showing up the EU or Macron or Merkel. There is still a lot the British government got wrong, after all.

Seems like the UK is going to have to bail Europe out (again)

funny!

The question is what kind of relationship it wants going forward with its European allies/key trade/security partners.

But that works both ways

@cyclingmad

I do find it amusing though , so many people think bojo is useless yet this useless man has been smart and shown up the EU, imagine being Merkel or Macron and being out smartest by bojo, can be good for their egos as we are now seeing

Fantastic point.😂😂😂😂😂

Though I fear any moment now he will be back on that zip wire. Waving Union Jacks at them😁

And you think the UK arent?

The UK haven't said or done anything wrong. This is an argument between AstraZeneca and the EU.