Vaccine rollout in Europe

[Baileysforchristmas]

The vaccine rollout in Europe is turning into a complete disaster.

www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/19/german-politicians-counter-astrazeneca-covid-vaccine-scepticism-with-show-of-support

I've just read an article on the Danish news (that I can link, but it's in Danish so probably not worth it) that the majority of Danes don't believe we'd have been more successful 'going it alone' - that despite any issues we've done better through the muscle of the EU's procurement program.

That said, we're still on track with the latest projected deliveries to get everyone who wants one fully vaccinated by the end of June, so satisfaction is high enough.

With the AZ vaccine - it makes up a small amount of our total orders anyway. Nobody seems to doubt its worth here (in fact our health minister has very sternly rebuked the idea that it's a 'worse' vaccine) but since we lack testing data on the over 65's it makes sense to use it on younger groups. Our pfizer supply is consistent and dependable so the older folk are getting that.

The only fuck up here so far is not doing well enough to cater for people having difficulty travelling to get the vaccine.

Denmark's biggest order is with J&J - so that getting approved would be great (and it seem over 60% effective against the SA variant too, with zero deaths in the tests.)

Incidentally I'm a British immigrant over here, and the fact that all my family in the UK that are older or vulnerable have either had the jab or have their appointment booked is a huge relief for me.

OP, I think this has been by and large a nice thread but as it goes on you seem very keen to point score against the EU. Oh, and please don't consider that weirdo Macron as any kind of spokesperson for the EU as a whole.

Your post new levels really underlines the importance of the messaging in each country to me. In countries where the politicians/ media support AZ , the population accept it and in countries where the messaging is more negative or at least not positive, the public are more cynical or outright refusing it. We all have access to the same information so it must be the political messaging that is making that difference imo. Hence the importance of governments / leaders in persuading their populations to take ( whatever vaccine) and why what Macron said was so damaging and outrageous. Although I totally agree he does not speak for the EU or even the french.

@CherryRoulade

There are nations who have done a really good job. Sadly, the U.K. is not one of them.

We are nowhere near the point of being able to look back and assess yet. We are only just past the start of this worldwide event really. I am no Boris fan and a massive remoaner but I think when we are at the point to look back European countries will be much of a muchness overall just slightly different mistakes/successes.

I've said this a lot, but when all of this is over we need a global commission to look at the role of the press in this. Just when we really needed proper journalism we got charlatans and mountebanks who deliberately spread disinformation and revelled in lurid, scaremongering headlines and on live television when they thought they had a Gotcha!

I couldn't agree more! The standard of journalism throughout this has been appalling.

I dont even think of it as journalism anymore.

The age of social media seems to have permanently changed "the profession".

Interesting read

www.politico.eu/article/eu-leaders-feel-the-pressure-over-handling-of-coronavirus-pandemic/

Oh, absolutely.

At the beginning of all this I watched breakfast television. It was dreadful. Completely dreadful. There was no balance - on BBC or ITV - just relentless searching for the worst and, I agree, the pursuit of “gotcha” moments.

I now never watch television news. Gone is the gravitas of the past and it’s all now a “questioning” - ie negatively aggressive - stance.

I can see vaccine passports coming in, especially for truckers

www.politico.eu/article/deja-vu-eu-struggles-with-backlogs-at-borders-coronavirus-trucking/

It will be interesting what changes the EU make after their meeting today

I couldn't agree more! The standard of journalism throughout this has been appalling.
Agree totally they need to be held more account

I'm in Belgium. We got off to a slow start but the plans are good, with doses being given 3 to 4 weeks apart. My understanding is that AZ is not being given to over 55s so those will receive the Pfizer jab. They bravely state they expect to achieve a level of herd immunity by October.

@CherryRoulade Wed 24-Feb-21 20:40:43
Barely mention second doses.

Sky News in the UK has a rolling total on the top left of their screen which rotates total number of first doses, total number of 2nd doses, % of the UK population which has received at least one does and % of the UK population which has had both doses. So it it totally available if you watch that channel.

@IrmaFayLear Thu 25-Feb-21 11:16:37
Oh, absolutely.

At the beginning of all this I watched breakfast television. It was dreadful. Completely dreadful. There was no balance - on BBC or ITV - just relentless searching for the worst and, I agree, the pursuit of “gotcha” moments.

About a month or so into our first lockdown in the UK I stumbled upon Euronews and it became my only news source, other than the BBC local news each night, as it was really good at interspersing all of the unavoidable doom and gloom with little nuggets of uplifting items. As did the local news come to think of it. In the past month or so I've expanded to include BBC News 24 and Sky News and now flit between the three when I'm in the mood to watch the news.

Must also agree with the appalling coverage from some newspapers with regard to the vaccine rollout both in the UK and the EU. Totally irresponsible and much of their so called reporting is downright scaremongering and lies.I live in Germany and after the initial disappointment and annoyance at the EU 's failure to secure adequate supplies and the initial skepticism with regard to vaccination things seem to be taking off My PIL's here have had their first vaccine as have my parents in Ireland .All of my ex nursing /medical colleagues here and in Ireland are fully vaccinated . The initial reluctance by most if not all of my german friends to be vaccinated seems to be waning and according to the Süddeutsche Zeitung vaccine willingness has increased from 60per cent to 80per cent since vaccine approval in December.Biontech /Pfizer have started production in Marburg and 250million doses are expected from that plant in the next six months.Things will work out hopefully for all of us.

I can’t wait till it’s goes back to people not giving a flying fig about the brand of medicine their using and let doctors and regulators decide.

This. I’m fairly clued up but have no idea who manufactured the flu vaccine I had in September, although I’m sure it will be on my information leaflet if I go and look.

The OP’s first post was unnecessarily combative which seems to have given certain posters carte blanche to derail the thread by discussing the general handling of the pandemic (and in no way am I defending the English government’s handling of this, but it’s not what the thread is about).

I’m wondering what the rationale is of the EU medicines regulator approving the AZ vaccine but then individual countries not?

I have had the AZ vaccine and tbh I don’t mind being a bit of a guinea pig for the older age groups - didn’t manage to get into a clinical trial so I guess I’m in one now! I’m definitely in the camp which believes a reasonable vaccine is better than none, particularly given where we’re at in England at the moment.

It's being reported on my local radia station that our local health authority (Sweden) had been vaccinating using the AstraZeneca vaccine but have now suspended using it pending an investigation by the Swedish medicines regulator. This is due to the high number of acute allergic reactions being reported by vaccinators.

More details coming through. The vaccine was being used on care workers in one particular town. 30 - 40% are now signed off work sick due to vaccine reactions.

Crikey! That'll be interesting!

I don’t see any point in sending AZ to the EU, no matter how much data there is to prove it’s fine there is mistrust now. It will sit on shelves not being used.

Are they suggesting that they had a bad batch or are they just reacting in a way that's different to the millions and millions of people in the UK and India?

I have had AZ - got a reaction for about 24 hours. Every single person I know had a reaction! Yes, you are out of action for a bit, but it’s like a small, swift flu, nothing worse.

@FourTeaFallOut

Are they suggesting that they had a bad batch or are they just reacting in a way that's different to the millions and millions of people in the UK and India?

I don't know, it doesn't say. It could be a bad batch or it could be that Swedes don't have a culture of carrying on if you're sick. It could also be because the pandemic rules here are stricter and require people to stay at home with any symptoms no matter how mild, and the list of symptoms is much broader than the UK. Care workers have been prosecuted for not following these rules. Or it could be that the AstraZeneca vaccine isn't the holy grail that it's being made out to be and that those advocating caution are right. Who knows, time will tell.

I don’t see any point in sending AZ to the EU

We’d be delighted to get extra supply in Ireland, the EU is not one homogenous entity.

Who is making it out to be the holy grail?

Most posters are trying to debunk the misinformation about it.

Nobody has denied there are issues, with AZ or any other vaccine.

Holy grail? It's not the holy grail but it is a major part of the vaccine portfolio of the UK and the EU. It might be fine for richer EU countries to top up with expensive vaccines when they have eroded the trust capital in those jabs and potentially acted as a catalyst for nocebo hysteria but that's not going the EU as a whole.

Going to help the EU as a whole.