EU has triggered article 16 over controls on vaccine exports

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Breaking news on sky
news.sky.com/story/covid-19-eu-introduces-controls-on-vaccine-exports-to-northern-ireland-12202656

Initial Irish person is placatory... downplaying everything... doesn't see a need for UK rescue, there won't be UK excess until about September, by when other vaccines will be n line. So no Jeremy, we don't need to shout and scream about a short tem issue that will be resolved shortly.

Neil Richmond, ex government personage, well spoken

Highly irresponsible segment by someone who had Covid-19 over Christmas and will be covered by their own antibodies for about 5 more months.
Thanks for jeopardising the health of millions of the under 50s in this country.

Lady speaker (I sneezed and missed her name ) is also pointing out we don't have excess stock. Goves gesture was nice but won't make much difference; Kate Bingham was brilliant (great response for a woman who was once most reviled); talking of reviled, UvdL needs to be 'spoken to!'; rein in the Nationlism... its a global issue, we all do what we can do!

Christine Patterson, author of "Not falling apart" or similar!

He certainly hasn't got anything shout worthy yet! Seems a bit subdued if anything! Hasn't done his reverse ferret thing yet though!

www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-government-secures-additional-40-million-doses-of-valneva-vaccine

Yes heard that on radio - excellent but doesn't seem much in news so far.

Attached is saying will be produced in Scotland - skilled jobs to the area etc.

Fingers crossed all goes well - yes EU still just in discussions....seem to want everyone else to do the commit first and get over hiccups and then have no patience when the hiccups affect them too in supply line.

This is what planning ahead for after the immediate emergency looks like and provides agility for mutations with more skilled expertise, equipment being provided etc -

oh, wrong thread sorry.

Oh god he's painsatkinlgy explaining why everyone is ordering more doses than they have people, or rather why the UK has! Hesitant, patronising, now trying to hype the choice "who do we give it to?" or do we just keep it all?

Bonny - chirpy lady in Oxfordshire(?) who is delighted! Ireland links over time, trade, hirse racing particularly, AngloIrish families, and on and on... not sure if she has any more of a point... now he is trying his pushy twonkishness - and she has just sidesteped him

Bob in Dover thanks the lovely lady... has a take on it.. EU are rich, the Gambia and Africa are poorer nations... give it to them after our oldies and troops! More Vinery... Tragic beautiful young girl died, don't discriminate againts the young!

But JV is still not sure...

I need to turn the bloody radio off

Asw far as I can tell the additional doses may well have come from the UK! UvdL has said as much in her Step Forward speech - vaccine factories in the UK and Europe would deliver doses to each region.

I assumed that AZ workers (well, Novasep employees) worked their arses off to sort out the issue and the plant can now up its production.

Why do the EU keep saying they 'invested' so many millions of Euros in the plants? They've paid the money to buy a product. That's like me saying I 'invested' in Bravissimo bras the other week. I paid upfront but won't receive them for another few weeks.

I voted Leave and am a bit non plussed by it all. It’s how I have always seen the EU - corrupt, wasteful and incompetent,

I’m surprised at the number of people who now say it’s changed their opinion of the EU.

I assumed that AZ workers (well, Novasep employees) worked their arses off to sort out the issue and the plant can now up its production. Equally likely! I was just following The Goviot's speech and her Step Forward and, probably erroneously, linking them.

Why do the EU keep saying they 'invested' so many millions of Euros in the plants? They've paid the money to buy a product. That's like me saying I 'invested' in Bravissimo bras the other week. I paid upfront but won't receive them for another few weeks. I think that's because they gave AZ money for development, much like every other country did, to some extent. And are now paying for doses, again like everyone else - though not full payment as yet!

I’m surprised at the number of people who now say it’s changed their opinion of the EU. Really? I know a few people who have been surprised by this and, as it now directly affects them as individuals, are rethinking their view of the EU!

I don't find it surprising. Then again I have been polite about The Goviot this weekend, my life, as I knew it, is irrevocably changed!

I think that's because they gave AZ money for development, much like every other country did, to some extent. And are now paying for doses, again like everyone else - though not full payment as yet!

But did they? According to one of Motorina's tweet links above, one of the Jenner Institute's senior researchers has said that the UK government has funded >90% of the costs of the research and scaling up of production processes.

Anyway nice to see that the thread is staying civilised today. For now.

I’m surprised at the number of people who now say it’s changed their opinion of the EU

I'm a bit surprised. I suppose I assumed that people who voted remain knew that the EU would treat the UK like shit if they left i.e. they knew that the EU had the ability to be petty but wanted to be a part of it anyway.

I was appalled by the treatment of Greece, it gave a clear indication of what the EU was capable of. People who voted remain must have been aware of that.

I don't understand the whole 'we should have stayed to influence it' view, this whole episode has shown that EU countries seem to have less influence on what the EU commission does than they think they do.

Anyway, there's no point in rehashing the Brexit arguments.

@CuriousaboutSamphire

I’m surprised at the number of people who now say it’s changed their opinion of the EU. Really? I know a few people who have been surprised by this and, as it now directly affects them as individuals, are rethinking their view of the EU!

I don't find it surprising. Then again I have been polite about The Goviot this weekend, my life, as I knew it, is irrevocably changed!

Lol same here been polite and about gove and Hancock its like weird alternate universe.

The end lockdown is partially linked to vaccination schedule.
Are the 9 priority groups all elderly or underlying illness?
I know we still working way through top 4.
Labour seem to be calling teachers to be vaccinated by Feb half term.
When will the under 50s be vaccinated.
Will we offer it to vulnerable teens or children at all?

Guess Boris rock and hard place .
We need our phizer 2nd batch 2nd doses.
If he offers secretly eu 9million az they won't block it.
However if we fall behind on vaccination schedule and the media reported we had 9million az jab but exchanged for 2.5millon phizer.

The norovax well eu not signed up for that.
I knew they made in uk had no idea they fulfilling usa orders first as thought all usa vaccines were being produced over there and UK would serve uk Europe and rest of the world.
They won't be available until autumn.

Seems the media got bored of story and not questioning where the 9mllion came from.
Uvd well she hoping 40million might please Europe for a short while and stop riots .

Will nicola sturgeon reveal today our vaccine figures as no idea how much we sat on or how much we awaiting.
Ie does manufacturing demand and production match up with the pace of vaccination schedule we set out.
I do wonder why we over a month later getting moderna when we ordered first.
No idea how much phizer hasent delivered upon.
Eu on about taking az and moderna to court but nothing about phizer?
Nothing said about how Americans possibly with phizer, moderna and novavax getting their orders fulfilled first.
Right now there's only 3 viable players in block with authorisation and vaccines made.
They might not want Johnson and Johnson as less effective.
God knows when sannofi or cure vac deliver and thats where they invested most if their money as well as phizer biotech which is German American.

With exception of Italy and phizer

www.dw.com/en/coronavirus-italy-to-take-legal-action-over-covid-vaccine-delays/a-56329885

www.ft.com/content/bb514eed-3be8-411a-b1c4-255dc569bae5

Moderna talking about eu deliveries of less than 500,000 so az magical conjuring up 9 extra million doses will help eu in short term but think they have until end of march to deliver the entire 40milliom doses.

But did they? According to one of Motorina's tweet links above, one of the Jenner Institute's senior researchers has said that the UK government has funded >90% of the costs of the research and scaling up of production processes. I did say to some extent. The EU weren't as wide ranging or generous as the UK, but few countries have been!

And no country has helped fund every possible vaccine, so I am sure there will have been one that the EU funded much more highly!

I read that Astra Zeneca had offered the EU 8 million doses of the Oxford vaccine but this was rejected as a way out of the argument

They offered that last week, when they were first aware of an issue, then revised that to 9 million and UdvL said that was an acceptable "Step Forward". But it was all very quiet, no details, no apologies or explanations!

And remember thats additional doses, not the total amount being offered at the moment

Ooh! EU briefing... apologised and said that it was a mistake, "Only the Pope is infallible" and at least they got it sorted, not quite a non apology, but not a fulsome one either!

And no country has helped fund every possible vaccine, so I am sure there will have been one that the EU funded much more highly!

Yes that's true, France probably put a lot of funding into Sanofi.

Why do the EU think the Pope is infallible?!

Why do the EU think the Pope is infallible?!

Officially that's always been the doctrine of the RC Church, that the Pope is infallible. Although I think that's only been for when he's pronouncing Papal bulls, not outside that official capacity. I'm quite happy to be corrected if I've got that wrong, though?

Maybe the speaker was Catholic?

Clip here:

Gives some context to the Pope reference. "I come from a historically Catholic country, and we have a saying..."

I think this counts as an admission of error rather than an apology, but it's good to see anyway. Even if there is no letup on export controls.

Oh OK, so that bit was a personal comment not part of an official statement.

@Motorina

Thank you for sharing that, yes it really does make sense in that context.

@Waspnest

Oh OK, so that bit was a personal comment not part of an official statement.

It was heavily clipped by the BBC, I didn't hear any of the context at all!