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

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 have not watched the News for days, but I see that Ireland's border seems to be mentioned in relation to this vaccine row. Could anyone explain to me how Ireland comes into the argument? Sorry to detract if it's common knowledge, brain not computing well today!

@Focalpoint

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?

To detract from hitting 100000 Covid deaths in the U.K. this week?

3. The AZ / EU contract makes it clear that the EU is entitled to vaccines manufactured in the U.K.

They are arguing over the delivery of the first quarter orders, the contract makes it clear these will only come from EU based factories, later doses can come from factories based in the UK (3.1 and 3.4)

@Asthesayinggoes

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 have not watched the News for days, but I see that Ireland's border seems to be mentioned in relation to this vaccine row. Could anyone explain to me how Ireland comes into the argument? Sorry to detract if it's common knowledge, brain not computing well today!

Northern Ireland is still in the Eu for commercial reasons so can have some of the Eu vaccines

Northern Ireland could send this vaccines to the uk
I hope I understood it right.

Imo childish. Doubt they’ll receive that many that they’ll be happy to send them accross instead of using them themselves

I am fuming at Von der leyen utter comtempt for the Republic of Ireland - the ignoring of diplomatic protocols and common manners. Riding rough shod over us all her in Ireland . How dare they decide arbitrarily on this- meddling with borders! FGS it just shows you how little they care about Ireland and used us in their negotiations on brexit . I do think the Irish govt. Were fools to ally too much with Brussels seeing as the Uk is our biggest trading partner ( whole other thread -sorry). Anyway Fair play to The UK. I for one am delighted ye are storming ahead with the Vaccine roll out. My new fave person is Pierre /pascal Soriot -chief exec of AZ will deliver on a first come first served and sticking to it
Like Brussels ordered a raid on The Belgian AZ plant to make sure what AZ was saying about problems with production was true-i mean What !!! They hadnt even it approved at that stage. All i can say is Boris is playing an absolute blinder. The Germans casting doubt on AZ vaccine is sour grapes - do they take us for fools ?? Macron pushed for the Sanofi one and now is closing borders to non Eu - more backlash and punishment for Brexit. Horrible little man- he should look at his own v roll out failings. As for us in Ireland,my family and I are resigned to a very slow roll out .ireland #europesplaythingwhenitsuitsthem
Sickened by Brussels.

@Focalpoint

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

I agree but several EU politicians have been mentioning the UK in their rants and the speech given by the commissioner directly mad it sound like the UK and AZ was to blame. Not just AZ (not that I think they are behaving unfairly).

At the end of the day until we complete at least are own priority list we aren't in a position to help anyone. Once that is done their is more flexibility.

By March/April the supply problems in the EU will likely be over anyway. So all this is ridiculous and has made them look bad in the eyes of the world. Hopefully lessons have now been learnt.

I’m in Ireland. I’m finding the mumsnet response to this over the top. People who claim to have been ardent remainers turning into Brexiteers overnight as the EU is ‘stealing U.K. vaccines’. One particularly hysterical poster stated the EU were likely responsible for the bomb threat at the plant in Wales.

My stance is the triggering of Article 16 was ridiculous and I hope it was done by some inexperienced staffer although how it got past the higher ups I don’t know!!! I’m glad it’s been resolved quickly

The EU are not ‘stealing U.K. vaccines’ they believe they have a claim to vaccines produced in U.K. and are fighting this out in court. So I have no stance on U.K. ‘having more vaccines’. It’s a contract production issue from my view.

The EU banked too much on Sanoffi but no-one knew which vaccines were going to work. The EU have ordered large quantities of the J&J vaccine a which is one dose. If that is approved soon they could catch up vaccine doses very quickly and it may not have been a disaster after all.

I’m general this has not changed my view of the EU. But I didn’t base my views of the EU on any one scenario and the vaccine thing in particular is complicated in general.

I think the U.K. citizens are not being helped by their press - in particular the Daily Mail with it’s absolutely insane headlines and that could explain some of the mental views I’ve seen on these threads over the past week. There has also been an awful lots of horrible gloating and nasty comments about the EU which disappoint me as someone living in the U.K. nearest neighbour

I'm an EU citizen living in UK.
Atm I think all this is just the result of someone having had enough, lost the plot and in sheer rage invoked art. 16. Then came to their senses and backtracked. And yes, it was a mistake.
Tbf I am in awe at the EU diplomats for not loosing their shit in the past years of negotiations.

@Focalpoint

Are the uk not jealous of Israel?

Mostly we are in pleased to see the positive news data coming out of Israel. That the vaccine is working.

Plus we are doing well with the vaccination program roll out ourselves. So why would we possibly be jealous?

EasterIssland

Well that is something I am pleased to hear. However I also want to know if the EU commissioner gives them the same flack as AZ.

@FatCatThinCat I think the EU are fighting hard for us. I think the british media are whipping up an anti EU frenzy and I'm incredibly saddened to see how the UK public are lapping it up. Some of the threads on here give the impression that many brits will be cheering with glee if our vaccine rollout fails completely.

Agree 100% it’s very sad. Even this thread which asked for views of those in EU / views of EU people has been hijacked with the same bile being spouted.

Atm I think all this is just the result of someone having had enough, lost the plot and in sheer rage invoked art. 16. Then came to their senses and backtracked.

Oh that’s okay then, how very reassuring

Interesting I've just read that pfeizer are also going to be delivering less.

Is this lower vaccine because EU didn't negotiate priority contracts?

I've lived in an EU country and had a friend from another one. They comment 15 years ago that their home country seemed to have more power over EU and so did another and the one we were in certainly didn't reap the rewards as much.

I was a sleep deprived new mum when we has the conversation (it's came about as we were discussing the hoops I'd had to jump through to get residency) and didn't really digest it. However I can see why she formed the opinion.

@itsgettingweird

Interesting I've just read that pfeizer are also going to be delivering less.

Is this lower vaccine because EU didn't negotiate priority contracts?

I've lived in an EU country and had a friend from another one. They comment 15 years ago that their home country seemed to have more power over EU and so did another and the one we were in certainly didn't reap the rewards as much.

I was a sleep deprived new mum when we has the conversation (it's came about as we were discussing the hoops I'd had to jump through to get residency) and didn't really digest it. However I can see why she formed the opinion.

I think they’ve had production issues. I think that’s what I read in the Spanish media. Have been delivering less to Spain for 2 weeks now

@Focalpoint

Are the uk not jealous of Israel?

The impression I get is they are looking at them as something to aspire to

@TheSunIsStillShining

Seriously?

Maybe the U.K. right wing press has made hay with it but they had to have something to make hay with. The EU did invoke article 16 quite ridiculously and they did impose export barriers in a ridiculous tit for tat fashion.
I honestly can't understand why they have done such crazy pointless things. The fact they've quickly gone back on them just makes it look even more foolish.

The U.K. government, to their credit, have resisted the temptation to get involved. They have not been whipping up anti EU sentiment themselves although they could easily have done so.

I genuinely am sad at the EU behaving like this. It makes me look a dick in front of pro- Brexit family and friends!

Thanks Easter I had heard we'd been told of delivery delays to uk possible due to them upgrading a plant to meet demand?

@fataroundthemiddle

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.

Oh this is nothing to do with Brexit for goodness sake! It's a contractual issue between AZ and the EU. AZ claim they're not in breach and EU are now exacting extra measures to ensure contracts are met. I agree the brief mention of article 16 was a step too far, but Boris was threatening this himself last week. No one seems to remember that.

@EasterIssland
@Asthesayinggoes

*Northern Ireland is still in the Eu for commercial reasons so can have some of the Eu vaccines

Northern Ireland could send this vaccines to the uk I hope I understood it right. *

No I don’t think that’s right. The EU apparently thought that although they could potentially check what vaccines were going straight from the EU to the UK, we could potentially still get them smuggled in via the Ireland /NI border as that border is essentially open. Hence the article 16 thing. Suggests they don’t trust us.

As I said before, this is a drama mostly hyped up to engender anti EU feeling by British press. U.K. Govt are quiet because it's actually nothing to do with them. No one is stealing U.K. vaccines.

I'm really pleased with how well Israel are doing. Plus it's essentially a naturalistic study. It's post market real world data which is invaluable to see how good the vaccine is in real world conditions.

The only thing I object to is that they will not vaccinate the Palestinians in the occupied territories only Jewish settlers. That makes AZ/ U.K. 's alleged unfairness to the EU pale into insignificance

I'm sure once the British government has for filled it's obligations to the British public... And then 3rd world countries.. I'm sure we can help the 27 other countries left in the eu with our scientific expertise, gene nome sequencing!!

'' I think the eu is fighting hard for us ''.. I feel so so sorry for you....

Actions speak louder than words.. The report about guns being brought by shady gangs and turned into killers sat on eu beaurcats desk for 7 years... Then came the battaclan...

In France no animosity or blame towards the UK at all. Anger towards the French government for over promising and under delivering as usual. And lying. And of course dismay and shame that the Pasteur Institute failed to produce a vaccination.