What do EU nationals think of the vaccines mess?

[Frazzled2207]

I’m a committed remainer. But the EU really did mess up last night. More seriously they are not in a good position right now with regards vaccine supply. Lots of anti-Eu posts here right now from committed remainers like me.

Just wondering what EU citizens make of all this and is there any bad feeling towards the UK? Do you think the EU has a right to some of the UK’s vaccine supply? Are people angry at the fact that the UK was able to secure more vaccines more quickly? Or are we coming across as selfish idiots?
Generally curious and am not here to start an argument

It will make news later in the year when the EU citizens are asking why the UK is streaking ahead of them in vaccinations. This is planning ahead for pretending they were doing something.

Retrospective news making for the summer EU audience.

That's what is happening but US and ROI etc playing full attention right now....

ROI government

The EU press aren't necessarily blaming the UK.
www.spiegel.de/international/europe/europe-s-vaccine-disaster-commission-president-ursula-von-der-leyen-seeking-to-duck-responsibility-a-1197547d-6219-4438-9d69-b76e64701802?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook#ref=rss

www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2021/01/29/de-britse-vaccinatiecampagne-eindelijk-een-succesverhaal-voor-b/

Quite a complimentary article here. Nothing about how we're going to steal the bastard UKs vaccines.

@mumsneedwine

AZ set up global production of their vaccine at cost. It is manufactured on every continent to ensure supplies could be as fair as possible. They could have made millions and been greedy, but they did their best to ensure it was available to all. Think the EU would do well to remember that. Was interested to be told last night by a friend in the know that a component of the Pfizer jab is made in Yorkshire. Trade barriers are going to make this situation so much worse.

This

Also in an interview with the AZ CEO he talked about the first meeting with oxford scientists and the government.

He said the first thing they told him was it was to be a non profit enterprise. He agreed to this as the right thing to do for humankind.

@SkiingIsHeaven

It's my understanding of the whole EU, Ireland, vaccine thing. Please correct me, add something if I’ve missed it but you have to use the analogy I’m using to help my simple mind-

New pizza restaurant opens-

🍕- Who wants 🍕?

🇬🇧- Yep, please, pepperoni shed loads of it!!

🍕- Ok, 🇪🇺, while I’m doing theirs, want anything?

🇪🇺- Yes let us just..... hold! What we having?

🇫🇷-Pepperoni
🇩🇪- Plain cheese
🇬🇷- Anchovies
🇮🇹- mushroom
🇮🇩- pineapple

🇫🇷🇩🇪🇬🇷🇮🇹- Who the f invited Poland? We are not having pineapple you heathens!!

🍕- Well while you decide we’ll crack on with the UK order 👍.

(Some hours later)

🇪🇺- We too shall have pepperoni!

🍕- Great just dealing with the UK start yours ASAP! All ovens fired and were cracking on.

🇪🇺- We have ordered!! You shall deliver to us NOW!

🍕- Well, you can have a few but we really do have an obligation to get the 🇬🇧 theirs.

🇪🇺- Fine, then we shall block the garden path to the 🇬🇧. No more pizza for them until we get ours!!!!

🇫🇷- Who left the side gate open?! 🇮🇪 ffs why haven’t you shut your gate?

🇮🇪- You said we could keep it open so we can still go and see next door and take them stuff. You said it was a good thing.

🇪🇺- We said that to try and strong arm the UK into not leaving!!

🇮🇪- But........

🇪🇺- (Mutes 🇮🇪) Its ok we have the key just lock it anyway.

Sinn Fein- I focken dare yous to touch our gate!!!!

🇪🇺- We’ve talked to the 🇬🇧 and decided NOT to lock the gate. We shall wait for our 🍕 and see if there is a calm rational way to speed up production.

I love this and have shamelessly nicked it (I've got an Italian Restaurant and Pizzeria so it's kind of apt!)

I feel that anyone who thought the EU was all nice little bunnies, all kind and beautiful were as naive as some of the hard core brexiters.

I aslo think the eu has basically behaved like the U.K. and ended up with strong nationalism protecting their patch at all cost.
Basically this pandemic is bringing the worst out of everyone. But I can’t quite get the shock or upset. No one would have batted an eyelid at the USA doing exactly that.

EU just want their contracted vaccines. No more no less. This has been spun out of all proportion by the British press. Who knows why there might be an anti EU message at the mo? Still it keeps people's attention from the atrocious death rate.

Le Monde. Basically saying ‘calm the f*ck down everybody’. These are unprecedented times, we’re all a bit stressed, it’s inevitable that things are going to go wrong, no need for us to get all overwrought.

No blame assigned to anyone, just a plea for everyone to play nicely and remember that the goal is simply to vaccinate as many people as possible on a global level.

Mixed bag of comments BTL - with a few people pointing out that the vaccine programme in France is moving so slowly that it hardly matters when we get our next batch of doses...

www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2021/01/30/guerre-du-vaccin-cessez-le-feu_6068208_3232.html

Same here: to echo @MadCatLady71, haven't seen the UK being mentioned in French headlines re vaccine roll out (newspapers blaming the French Gvt for slow progress). Anyway, 'vaccine' or otherwise, 'wars' headlines never really bode that well for Europe.....whatever that contract says or the EU/AZ did (or didn't do), perhaps time to de-escalate...

Yes - exactly....thanks @MadCatLady71

they invested massively in AZ development of the vaccine, as well as placing a large order.
@Mesmerising it’s understandable EU citizens are annoyed how this has all came about. It seems as others have said how the EU been angry at AZ and UK but it’s nothing the UK did that stops EU citizens getting the AZ vaccine. Here’s a graph of which countries put money into vaccine funding for development.

Brit in Italy. The story is not a big deal here. The biggest vaccine-related story is the Italian medicines agency approving the AstraZeneca jab for all ages but only recommending it for under 55s. The AstraZeneca delay is mostly being mentioned as a contractual dispute alongside a 20% cut in expected Pfizer supplies, not as the EU v the U.K. ‘war’ some of the British media are depicting. And people lost interest in Brexit a long time ago.

Many people here are not huge fans of the EU generally, mostly imo due to feeling there is a lack of solidarity relating to many issues, not just covid (e.g. migration via the Med, financial rules favouring some nations). But lots of people who criticise it wouldn’t want to leave the EU either. I haven’t heard any specific grumbling relating to this issue or the vaccine programme generally. Complaining has mostly been aimed at the national government. People are fed up with the restrictions, but these are easing in most areas and there isn’t a heightened sense of urgency right now like in the U.K. with the new strain.

@Avondklok

EU just want their contracted vaccines. No more no less. This has been spun out of all proportion by the British press. Who knows why there might be an anti EU message at the mo? Still it keeps people's attention from the atrocious death rate.

It is the EU that have publicly blown this up and made accusations rather than talks behind closed doors.

They have now been condemned for their threatening behaviour by Australia, USA, a shed load of other countries and the WHO.

@Coquohvan

they invested massively in AZ development of the vaccine, as well as placing a large order. *@Mesmerising* it’s understandable EU citizens are annoyed how this has all came about. It seems as others have said how the EU been angry at AZ and UK but it’s nothing the UK did that stops EU citizens getting the AZ vaccine. Here’s a graph of which countries put money into vaccine funding for development.

So even bloody Trump put more into this than the EU. That should really make them feel ashamed and embarrassed.

Speaking from Ireland. This is a way bigger deal in the UK media than Irish.

Can't believe top 3 on BBC news are about this and it has Mumsnet up in arms.

It's only number 2 on RTE about the Taoiseach saying commission made a mistake triggering article 16 and playing straight into DUP hands.

EU are acting in EU citizens interests on the back of a slow start to the vaccine roll out. Totally support them. Uk are way ahead - fair play - but why all this flag waving?

Moderna have now said their vaccine delivery to the EU will be also be less than expected due to production yield issues

We will have to see if they also get the same tantrum or whether it is about Brexit to the EU leaders.

I think the EU is jealous as the UK has given them a slap in the face by having the guts to leave ( be it the right decision or not is not my intention to comment on). The EU is squabbling like school kids instead of all for one and one for all,Each county is doing it's own thing for itself instead of presenting a united front.European Union my arse. Good for you UK you show them.Get on with it as only you Brits know how to. Said by a Brit who has lived a lifetime in the EU.

@Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum

Moderna have now said their vaccine delivery to the EU will be also be less than expected due to production yield issues

We will have to see if they also get the same tantrum or whether it is about Brexit to the EU leaders.

Italy has threatened to sue them. It’s the third company that lets them down

FGS nothing at all to do be being jealous of the UK. This is about a dispute with a pharma company.

My understanding is that earlier amounts of UK destined AZ vaccine DID come from the Belgian plant but even then it was less than expected (but I don't think the UK government threw a hissy fit about it). The EU weren't interested at that point but now they know they will have a supply problem they are raising that as an issue. We are I believe currently producing all our AZ in the UK.

EU citizens aren't affected by an export ban so presumably they're not fussed about that but for UK citizens that has implications for second shots of Pfizer.

The threat of invoking Article 16 is a huge huge issue for the UK. For those of us old enough to remember the Guildford/Birmingham/Brighton/Warrington/Hyde Park/Enniskillen/Omagh bombings the GFA is so important and casually threatening to destabilse that is despicable.

I don't expect many EU citizens to necessarily know all that but it may explain why all this is a huge deal to the UK.

Anyway sorry OP, not trying to derail but maybe in the UK we shouldn't expect EU citizens to be as interested or invested in the row.

Are the uk not jealous of Israel?

I think that when the stakes are life or death, it's every man for himself. I'm an EU citizen living in the UK but I can't say that I fault the UK (though I love to find fault usually). Likewise, I can't say that I fault the EU for pulling whatever clause they have out of their cap at the last minute. This fucking bastard cunt of a virus has brought out the worst in everyone.

I (personally, can't speak for all of the UK) am delighted that Israel is getting the vaccine out to its citizens.

@Focalpoint

Are the uk not jealous of Israel?

I don’t think so. Why should they ? Also you can’t compare vaccinating Israel with 9m citizens and Uk with 65m. Israel is also only vaccinating with pfizer and not any other as they had a deal