EU threatening to cut off supply of vaccines to UK

[Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady]

Because they've not got enough apparently (despite the fact that they've got a shit load of AZ stockpiled because they've mostly stopped using it)

This is really starting to piss me off now, and has someone who is due 2nd Pfizer jab in 8 weeks in starting to worry I won't get it!

They're threatening to stop supply to USA too.

Wankers

www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/ursula-von-der-leyen-threatens-cut-off-covid-exports-uk-b924652.html

Where did you see about Egypt please? I have a place there and it's hard to read reliable sources about the real situation (not the freest media to say the least) there and obviously haven't been able to get there for some time. I have flights booked to spend 5 wks of summer there and am crossing everything.

I’m pleased we are offering some doses to the EU. We are neighbours and should be friends.
There’s enough argy bargy in the world without this too.

Argy bargy? In a post about being neighbourly?

Sorry, but that did make me snigger!

It looks like Boris is going to offer the EU a couple of million AZ doses to keep the peace

Unfortunately that won't work - like a tantrumming toddler they'll just scream that they want a bigger slice of the cake

I’m pleased we are offering some doses to the EU. We are neighbours and should be friends. There’s enough argy bargy in the world without this too.

I don't see why we should send the EU the AstraZeneca jab just so they can store it in the fridge. If reports are to be believed, they've already got millions of doses that are sitting unused!

The issue i raise us usa had plenty to say about brexit yet this year EU making all sorts of threats and silence.

There's a different president now though with a different approach. If Trump was still in power I'm sure he would have plenty to say about it!

I can't find any other articles that say we offered Europe doses so unsure on validity.
Az must know how many u quantified doses they have in Netherlands which uk keep arguing part uk supply chain but eu claims the 2 uk factories part of theirs.

www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-eu-uk-idUSKBN2BD0RZ

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/eu-vaccine-row-boris-johnson-covid-b1820636.html

News on Egypt seems postive although don't know how effective Chinese one is

www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-egypt-china/egypt-aims-for-deal-to-produce-sinovac-covid-19-vaccines-idUSL8N2LK3SX

[quote EasterIssland]Putin is having it tomorrow
www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/22/vladimir-putin-to-receive-covid-19-vaccine-on-tuesday[/quote]
Is he demanding that they use a blunt needle so that he can show he's got grit?

Even if we gave them the whole of the cake it would be a drop in the ocean of their needs. Hopefully, behind the scenes, real issues are being addressed that will make a substantive difference rather than just posturing about a tiny nation's portion of vaccines when they have 27 countries to provide for.

Thank you 3asabird. Egyptians are full of, 'we have immune systems that are made of steel' hubris and undoubtedly real numbers of cases and deaths are massively unreported and also undetected given the amount of people living eg in the delta region with low levels of literacy and very little state assistance or involvement. Yet friends on the ground in Cairo and Sinai who were assuming the worst and horrified by Egypt's relaxed/passive approach do seem to be being pleasantly surprised that it is nowhere near the issue that they were expecting it to be.

I'll have a read.

Is he demanding that they use a blunt needle so that he can show he's got grit?

I'm not sure, but I can guarantee he won't be wearing a shirt

EU seems so short sighted over this. Boosters will be needed for new variants, which will be devised by Oxford. This time round they offered the vaccine at cost to the world (partly possible because the UK taxpayer paid millions to support it). I can't see any incentive for Oxford/AZ to do the same again. If EU going to throw a tantrum then I'd make them pay for it. And stop exports of the vaccine parts that come from UK.
Good news I heard this morning is 7 UK scientists currently in Europe helping production plants boost supply. That's what was needed weeks ago, not EU threatening my mum not getting her 2nd jab. Killing our over 80s seems a bit drastic even for politicians.

Brief article (as all Egyptian news is ime) but yes it doesn't surprise me they've gone with China.

Egypt are very independent and able in terms of the pharmaceutical industry and drugs are cheap and available over the counter so that whilst people may not be able to afford a doctor they can access cheap effective medicines and rely on pharmacists for direction medical advice.

I tend to stock up on a few basic medicines when I'm there. For example they have a fantastic, crazy cheap, medicine that I guess we would market as 'cough medicine' that combines pain relief, antihistamine and bronchodilation and can be bought over the counter for a price that is cheap even to low income locals. Ime if you can get in quick and take that when a chest infection hits you can avoid needing antibiotics. Just giving that as an example of the drug situation.

I imagine they have the capability and infrastructure to take on vaccine production.

The guardian is reporting
e Irish prime minister, Micheál Martin, has warned that any European Union restrictions on vaccine exports would be a “retrograde step” that could undermine the supply of raw materials for vaccine production.

Martin told Ireland’s RTE radio that representatives of vaccine-maker Moderna had expressed concern to him that EU export restrictions on vaccines might impact its supply of raw materials for vaccine production.

[quote EasterIssland]Putin is having it tomorrow
www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/22/vladimir-putin-to-receive-covid-19-vaccine-on-tuesday[/quote]
He's actually going to get the Pfizer/BioNtech jab and they'll just tell everyone it's Sputnik.

If I was AZ I would never ever ever offer a vaccine to the EU at cost price again. Which the U.K. government insisted on in the first place to partner with Oxford. The German government did not insist on this from pfzier for example ( who would have told them to bugger off no doubt)
It’s rather infuriating this is never ever mentioned amongst the EU’s threats.

No good deed goes unpunished!

@mumsneedwine

EU seems so short sighted over this. Boosters will be needed for new variants, which will be devised by Oxford. This time round they offered the vaccine at cost to the world (partly possible because the UK taxpayer paid millions to support it). I can't see any incentive for Oxford/AZ to do the same again. If EU going to throw a tantrum then I'd make them pay for it. And stop exports of the vaccine parts that come from UK. Good news I heard this morning is 7 UK scientists currently in Europe helping production plants boost supply. That's what was needed weeks ago, not EU threatening my mum not getting her 2nd jab. Killing our over 80s seems a bit drastic even for politicians.

Surely the EU would just order more from one of the many other companies providing vaccines? Why you go back to a company that underdelivered by 90% when you can go to companies that actually fulfill their orders?

Under delivery includes the factories waiting for the EU to give them authorisation to start mass manufacturing, doesn't it? And the ones with ongoing issues, that have had, and now have some new, UK specialists out to help.

It looks like Boris is going to offer the EU a couple of million AZ doses to keep the peace

Unfortunately that won't work - like a tantrumming toddler they'll just scream that they want a bigger slice of the cake

"if once you have paid him the Dane-geld
You never get rid of the Dane."

But yes, I assume it's a PR exercise for the benefit of the US and any other nations that might be watching. But I want to see those 2m doses going into European arms pdq.

If I was AZ I would never ever ever offer a vaccine to the EU at cost price again.

And even that they haggled over, which delayed the contract. I don't know whether their trying to do it on the cheap has contributed to the production issues.

I just feel this is not about AZ but the keeping of future vaccines of Pfizer, moderna and J&J but using AZ as the smoke screen to get what they want. As the language has always been about export bans on vaccines not export ban of AZ. Offers of AZ will not end this.

@Boulshired

I just feel this is not about AZ but the keeping of future vaccines of Pfizer, moderna and J&J but using AZ as the smoke screen to get what they want. As the language has always been about export bans on vaccines not export ban of AZ. Offers of AZ will not end this.

Moderna and Pfizer have got British components. Any export ban from the Eu could backlash them if the uk does the same thing for the ingredients

I just feel this is not about AZ but the keeping of future vaccines of Pfizer, moderna and J&J but using AZ as the smoke screen to get what they want.

I can’t understand why Boris has given in personally. Unless he wants to lose the next election? As someone whose career is completely screwed thanks to this fucking pandemic, I just want to see our vaccine programme continuing at the current pace and our economy opened up as soon as possible. Not millions of our doses sitting unused in a fridge somewhere in the EU

@CuriousaboutSamphire

Under delivery includes the factories waiting for the EU to give them authorisation to start mass manufacturing, doesn't it? And the ones with ongoing issues, that have had, and now have some new, UK specialists out to help.

Whatever the reasons they still massively underdelivered whereas other companies. I know on mumsnet the AZ or 'Oxford jab' is worshipped but in the EU we don't care who makes it so long as they actually deliver it in a timely fashion and other companies can. There isn't the same attachment or whatever it is you Brits seem to have to AZ, it is literally just another vaccine.

Anyway, I'm not getting into anything here again, as was said by our public broadcaster today the UK tabloid reaction to this whole thing is 'ludicrous' and mumsnet embodies that.

@CuriousaboutSamphire

Under delivery includes the factories waiting for the EU to give them authorisation to start mass manufacturing, doesn't it? And the ones with ongoing issues, that have had, and now have some new, UK specialists out to help.

Yes, Halix in the Netherlands still doesn't have EU approval.

Well, I don't read the tabs, so have very little idea if their ludicrous output.

And it isn't UK papers and SM discussing the Aldi Vaccine or reporting on the ever decreasing confidence in AZ.

Nor is it our politicians who have said some daft things about AZ efficacy.

And I don't worship anything. I don't need to be that emotive whilst I wait for my jab, any jab, I don't actually care.

What I do know is that it ludicrous to demand 100% output from brand new pharmaceutical factories, to not authorise mass manufacturing as quickly as possible and to demand 100% delivery whilst sitting on millions of doses, ready to go... but undermined see above.

All of which I read in non UK publications, scientific and governmental reports!

Like many here I didn't vote for Boris, I don't want any European country to go through a third wave with no workable mass vaccine progrwy on the horizon and don't subscribe to any jingoistic bollocks.