AZ - EU contract published

[Davros]

Breaking news on BBC

Stop putting words in my mouth @MarshaBradyo

I said the Govts 9 priority groups stop at 50.

@Baileysforchristmas

What does the EU want to achieve from all this? I don’t think it will result in more vaccines, it won’t help European citizens, what is their end goal?

I’m Not sure, probably the same as a toddler who lies face down in the middle of a supermarket floor lashing out at everyone who tries to help screaming incoherently whilst everyone walks past tutting and rolling their eyes

"I answered this before but for your benefit,
Many experts agree Cv is likely to be a seasonal vaccination as it mutates, much like flu, so will be given to at risk groups.

We don't vaccinate children, so HI is def not possible."

This is not fact yet, we don't know.

Plus the more vaccinated the lower the risk as not one vaccine is 100% protection & not everyone can have it.

So they are rowing back on Article 16.

What. A. Relief.

How astonishing that they even considered it. And how embarrassing for both the EU and Irish government, who weren't even consulted.

Immense damage has been done by this.

@Bluethrough

Stop putting words in my mouth *@MarshaBradyo*

I said the Govts 9 priority groups stop at 50.

So do you want to stop there or go ahead with JCVI recommendation for next phase?

I want to know how Nicola sturgeon is going to back track on her support for the eu

Kinda my point really

Northern Ireland is suffering through increased cost of shipping and trade. Many companies are reconsidering what they will and wont ship to northern Ireland, one example here. So yes uk population is suffering.

All this was done at the insistence of the EU. As you suggest (whether I agree with it or not) Britain didn't even seem to remember that NI was thing until the EU brought it up.

They did it to protect the Good Friday agreement. And because ROI was a very important member state and they care about their member states. Supposedly.

Yet now they are quite have with there being a border between NI and Ireland. All because they fucked up their Vaccines program, and their contract writing.

If you are going to trade on sincerity and care of member states, you need be sincere and care about member states even when it isnt in your interest. You cant call a soveriegn nation state a bad guy for something you then do yourself

This contradiction,coupled with its behaviour in the last 24 hours really strikes to the heart of the trustworthiness of the EU. Especially the idea that the EU is the peacemaker of Europe

@TransplantedScouser

I want to know how Nicola sturgeon is going to back track on her support for the eu

I did think this earlier.

I'm sure she'll be happy to take her share of the UK vaccine but will she be able to support EU.

If EU countries don’t get their vaccine supply sorted, it will affect the U.K. adversely, mutations close to home, which will enter our shores pretty swiftly via the Channel tunnel and other means.

I appreciate spirits are running high post Brexit, but this is our problem too. So I suspect our government will offer some sort of reassurances and offers to help with logistics etc, perhaps once we have vaccinated our top priority groups they might even share supply on a non legally binding basis.

The richer countries might have more money but they also have older and fatter populations (kept alive through sophisticated health care systems) and many have worse seasonal pressures due to cold weather so I don’t think the argument to help all poor countries over richer countries with major outbreaks is that good (obviously that excludes specific situations like refugee camps which should always be a priority). If we divert to poorer countries the vaccines need to go to the most vulnerable in those countries and that is also a challenge. I think there needs to be a concept of countries with major outbreaks because it affects the whole world. Surely that is one thing we have all learnt from Covid?

@Bluethrough our death toll is shocking so arguably we have a greater need don't we?

@MissConductUS

The Wall Street Journal ran a great editorial about this last night, before the EU went completely bonkers:

The EU blows its rollout and blames a pharmaceutical firm

It's fairly long, so here are the last two paragraphs

Brussels soon will give national governments the power to block millions of vaccine doses from being exported from Europe. Such restrictions will certainly backfire, as other countries retaliate against Europe and complex supply chains fall apart.

Brussels is demonstrating its unique knack for self-foot-shooting by transforming its crisis of vaccine incompetence into deeper economic harm. The EU’s paramount challenge after the pandemic ebbs will be to revive economic growth despite decades of policy mismanagement. Yet nothing says “closed for business” like harassing companies that provide life-saving medical treatments.

***

That's pretty much the consensus on this side of the pond.

Wow

Especially the idea that the EU is the peacemaker of Europe

Exactly. What a joke.

"So they can look like the big man to their members, and to slow down the UK vaccination programme so the EU doesn't look so shit and feel so bad about backing the Sanofi vaccine."

That is exactly what they are trying to achieve. They will have to stay in lockdown longer because their Commission has failed - we are not withholding their vaccines - they need to work over the next quarter to establish a smooth delivery line for themselves.

We are not wishing death on any European neighbour - we wish them well and wish they hadn't stupidly listened to the EU when they said "leave it to us to procure vaccines" (well, Germany didn't they ordered about 30m Pfizer for just themselves).

www.politico.eu/article/germany-buys-extra-coronavirus-vaccine-doses-from-eu-countries/

"Germany, a country of 83 million people, said it's getting 94 million doses of the BioNTech/Pfizer vaccine, 64 million from the EU and 30 million from a separate bilateral deal. On top of that, Berlin will buy doses that other countries don't buy, securing 50 million of 160 million Moderna doses — far more than its pro-rata allocation."

www.politico.eu/article/france-puts-down-vaccine-favouritism-allegations/

My point is that we in the UK would rather vaccinate our pet hamsters than give vaccine to the EU.

This is outright rubbish, this is your idea of how Bad the UK is in your head and having spent the past 4 years waiting to say 'I told you so' to brexiteers that you are struggling to paint it as an anti UK stance.

Every country is about helping their own citizens first, you are squinting really hard here and even the FPBE twitter mob are not agreeing with you.

Sometimes you just have to let go, step away from the internet and accept you hold the wrong opinion.

All these hypotheticals you have to employ to paint it as being somehow the UK's fault or 'what did you expect' scenario you know you have spent far too long only getting thier hot takes from twitter.

My point is that we in the UK would rather vaccinate our pet hamsters than give vaccine to the EU.

Why doesn't Germany share their extra purchases?

@TransplantedScouser

I want to know how Nicola sturgeon is going to back track on her support for the eu

She better be careful or this will end her

Bye bye annoying lady

@Musicaldilemma yes I am pretty sure we would but we are not in that position now , i have said all along we help who needs it most be that france or brazil, but if eu supply is good by then and other countries have not done any vulnerable do we not help them
Next? Ot do you think we do all ages in eu first ?
If other vaccines get passed in couple months could we not have more vaccines as well as uk, what else do eu have on order ?

Why are so many posters ignoring the fact that just vaccinating the vulnerable is enough? It's not

Herd immunity is a bit of a pipe dream.its good to dream but..

At the moment I'd just settle for protecting enough people that the NHS can treat everyone who needs treating, without self destructing through its staff catching covid.

Wow

@Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum - I strongly recommend reading the whole editorial. It's spot on. Let me know if it's behind the paywall (I subscribe) and I'll post the whole thing here.

I was pro remain.

Yet even I'm astounded that this far through the thread other pro remainders can cannot grasps this isn't an EU UK thing. The contract the EU had is with AZ.

The UK made a contract. It put it's money into investment of vaccines and that risk paid off. The EU took over when other countries took their own lead. It dithered. It tried to negotiate a price on a not for profit vaccine.

It tried to make it political.

This is a private pharma deal and not a trade deal.

Anybody remember when brexit was going to mean the UK not getting any vaccines?

LOL!

@Hazelnutlatteplease not everyone can get the vaccine though despite being vulnerable.

Plus I think it makes sense to vaccinate the NHS, emergency services, school
staff, supermarket workers, bus drivers, security guards etc.

@Wildswim

So they are rowing back on Article 16.

What. A. Relief.

How astonishing that they even considered it. And how embarrassing for both the EU and Irish government, who weren't even consulted.

Immense damage has been done by this.

Will they go ahead with article 122 though? Fair bit of silence on that threat?

It's like on the plane put on your own oxygen mask & then help others to put on theirs.

@bluethrough shutting borders doesn't just hurt us though , maybe slightly more but its not pain free for eu companies. It looks like across eu borders are being shut for travellers and I never understood why the whole world didn't do this back in march/ april.