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

Given the source is the standard I assume must be some truth in it udvl has said the same things before and I feared they would maybe block more vaccines.

Initially astrazeneca was manufactured by a company called helix in the Netherlands we think for UK and Canada and few other countries.
The ema have not approved Netherlands site to deliver stock to EU.
UK took months to set up 2 az factories which British government heavily invested in and I also read we invested and supported helix.
But all eu doses of AZ were meant to come from Belgium factory.
No idea why they can't have stock from Netherlands that is baffling.
They wanted stock from uk factories but thats not part if their supply chain its public knowledge uk contract very different to eu best efforts and lack of investments plus ordering later.
I don't think az uk which I separate company to az Sweden said they will never export but only when uk is sorted and I don't think the amount produced by uk factories is enough so we need phizer and we need moderna which is due to arrive next week.
The Europe Belgium factory makes their az then its bottled in Italy which is why they managed to block 250k to Australia.

Phizer I think made in Belgium possibly Germany also bottled somewhere in Europe.
I believe all of Israel doses came from Europe and they had unique contract with phizer to share data in exchange lot of doses.

I don't know if American doses of phzier and moderna are made in USA im pretty sure they are.
However American has ban on sending vaccines abroad until they sorted so Canada and Mexico despite being sane continent as USA are reliant on vaccines made in europe until they can set up their own factories.
Same with phizer and Australia they also come from Europe and this month Australia cdl will start manufacturing thier az bit they still want and need the 250k Italy blocked.

Moderna is made in Switzerland non eu but bottled in Spain.
cen.acs.org/business/outsourcing/Pfizer-Moderna-ready-vaccine-manufacturing/98/i46

The new janson j&j i think will also be made in Switzerland and bottled in Europe.
There are no plans to manufacture j and j in uk or Australia that I know of.
So yes the eu could potentially block a lot of vaccines.

But the fear with j and j like other vaccines before it is production will be slow and they won't be able to deliver what eu ordered by end of 2nd quarter.

The UK will in late autumn start manufacturing norovax American in teesside and French firm valneva in Scotland but not sure how far they are with trials or how quick they be authorised they may not arrive until 2022.
Not sure eu actually done a deal with these 2 they had exploratory talks in December.

The USA does have ban on exports.
I think they have 10million az doses in stock but fda not authorised and they make phizer moderna and possibly j and j within USA as part of operation warp speed in some ways Biden is following trump with America 1st.

www.irishtimes.com/business/health-pharma/eu-approves-single-shot-johnson-johnson-vaccine-1.4507473?mode=amp

Theres a company in Yorkshire that makes 4 key components to phizer and assume that's not been blocked as phizer still being made.
So eu saying we banning exports of vaccines and components is simply not true we don't make enough az to fulfill our own demand or provide enough for uk.
I believe India has been providing Europe with az as theres problems in Belgium site and mystery of why they won't authorise helix in Netherlands is a odd mystery.

www.ft.com/content/8e2e994e-9750-4de1-9cbc-31becd2ae0a8

www.irishtimes.com/business/health-pharma/eu-approves-single-shot-johnson-johnson-vaccine-1.4507473?mode=amp

I am not sure if uk has formally made offer to republic of Ireland or if they would accept.
But its been discussed as serious option.

The uk has donated more to covax scheme than the eu has.

No idea on how far French sanofi is or German curevac are with theirs.

What I don't understand is legally and economically what they doing are wise.
It may mean some companies manufacture elsewhere.
They will anger and damage relationships with other countries.
Not sure how tolerant American firms will be given their high price with eu seizing vaccines and putting the vaccine manufacturer in breech of contract to other countries.
These are all private pharmaceutical company not state owned so seizing goods that don't belong to them seems odd and judging because they messed up they need it more that say Australia or UK.
Biden doesn't seem be saying very much really despite the eu prepared to screw over American firms and disrupt peace in Northern Ireland.

India selling point in the pharma world is that it manufactures and exports, the same could be said for the EU. The UK has spent the last year upscaling, it’s not surprising it’s not in a position to be a large vaccine exporting giant. A percentage of UKs AZ would reduce our figures dreamy without making much difference in the EUs numbers. The winner is India, as it will be viewed as more trustworthy by the large pharmaceutical companies.

The European Union has threatened to restrict vaccine exports to the UK to "make sure Europeans are vaccinated as soon as possible"

They have been rubbishing the vaccine, reducing the intake and stoking up anti vaccine sentiment, they’ve been dragging their feet when buying vaccine stock and now they want to go steaming ahead? By making sure other countries won’t get it? But what about the stockpiles of AZ waiting for a better political situation?

You couldn’t make it up.

Dramatically not dreamy

@starfro

I voted Remain. I was never a strong Remainer, but I would say that now I probably would want to wait and see how it all pans out over the next decade before judging whether re-joining would be a good idea.

My guess is that a lot of people will have been put off the EU by the shenanigans of the last few months.

I am glad to be on. the British side of the vaccine roll out for sure. Balances only slightly against the huge amount of extra admin and cost I have been dealing with over the last few weeks whilst homeschooling 3 kids. I have physical symptoms of stress and it has cost many thousands of pounds.

So, you know, swings and roundabouts...

I'm not seeing what the UK has done wrong. The govt invested a lot of money in the development of AZ, much more than the EU. The UK govt ordered early and sorted out a proper contract. The EU ordered late because it was trying to drive down the price of a non profit vaccine (which is shameful in itself) and didn't get a watertight contract from AZ but a 'best effort' one. It also didn't plan in using AZ anyway because it invested in the French vaccine. None of that is the UKs fault.
The UK has as part of its contract with AZ that it will export to the EU once UK supplies have been met. That's not the same as an export van, particularly if part of the Pfizer ingredient is made in Yorkshire!
I don't see the UK as being under any obligation to export vaccines until our own population has been taken care of, certainly not because the EU couldn't sort their shit out. I think our obligations are to Commonwealth countries really, although I would also export to the EU asap because we need the whole world to be immunised.

AZ is an experienced company in vaccine production. It is not having the problems in it's other factories that it is having in the EU. If a company experienced in vaccine manufacture is struggling who is going to take over? Perhaps the French company that failed with its own vaccine? Failing to produce a good vaccine can happen to the best of companies but taking over another companies factory is not going to do anything for their reputation.

Don't worry you can refer to anyone as "wankers" - if someone is offended that an EU region politician is referred to as such and thinks that gives them some moral high ground they're a ... insert own whatever.

Seem to keep getting told who/what we are allowed to say, more and more often on MN....

EU's vaccine mess is a shining example of why the European Union will fall apart in the next decade.

Brexit. Not such a bad idea after all.

I fear more than the empty threats about the vaccines is the beginning of the unravelling of the business and trade links globally because by doing this the EU are undermining the whole system. We could see the complete breakdown of trust on an international scale. The EU by refusing to follow the rule of law and contracts is playing a very serious and potentially deadly game.

Who knows where it will end.

I hope this is not going to be one of the pivotal moments when a leader makes a very serious mistake and the chain reaction runs out of control. I don't suppose anyone envisaged what was to follow with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.

Those who voted for Brexit already knew what the EU was like, this isn't something new. Its only new for remainers who held the EU up on a pedestal of how amazing it is to be a member and pool our procurement as one big bloc.

Turns out acting out as one big bloc screwed them over so members ended up doing their own thing.

They need the UK to look like its failing, remember how the EU leaders were saying how big a mistake we made and our economy would be ruined etc. Well now we are looking much better than they are, looking to be able to get back to normal in a more sustainable way through vaccines and they are left behind .

Why else is there this drive to talk down the asteazenca vaccine and nos they are doing u-turns.

I'm glad we left the EU, because this situation has really shown their incompetence and ineffectiveness to act as a bloc.

Imagine Boris doing this, how many peoples deaths would you hold him responsible for. They are playing with peoples lives and guess what they dont even care

such a shame that health is turning into politics.... instead of sorting out our own problems we start threatening others... without realising that others success Is also beneficial for us. such a shame politicians are doing politics like always

While Rome fiddles, Papua New Guinea burns.

Cases are soaring there and Australia is sending 8000 of its AZ doses, while they try to get another million doses ASAP. Those doses Italy denied them are urgently needed.

This pandemic has really shown up all the cunts on this planet

Yes you can say that again Jab on the world stage and in private. Covid has exposed them all.

I am trying to imagine what would happen here in the UK if Boris et al tried to pull this kind of bullshit on us, suspending the vaccine, telling us it was rubbish one minute then fine the next. Messing up the entire vaccine procurement to such a degree that thousands of us would be facing a death sentence.

There would be riots in every town and in every city. The backlash would be epic, in the sense that it would be on such a scale.

VDL sounds like a spoiled child who can see someone else with a toy she wants. And she's going to throw a tantrum until she can get one too.
Meanwhile other countries try and keep their citizens safe. UK has been giving (not selling) to third world countries that need it, they have contributed to covax more than the rest of Europe put together. They invested heavily last year and are reaping the benefits now. EU tried to negotiate down a cost price vaccine. You get what you pay for.
Instead of being an idiot why doesn't VDL ask us for help in sorting the mess out. From EU countries and UK. It's all getting silly.

It's not really surprising now is it? The reports of low uptake in some EU countries.

I don't think I'd feel very confident in a vaccine that had been advertised as sub par...Oh no it's fine...Oh sorry it's deadly!...nope, we're back to it being fine again

What’s the situation with doses in storage v low supply due to U.K. shipments?

Both seem to be talked about but why can’t the extra be used before threatening re reprocity

reciprocity

I don't think it is a coincidence that much of Europe is now dealing with a third wave, many countries are now facing a new protracted lockdown just at the point they needed to reopen for the tourist season, which is desperately needed.

The vaccine was then only way out, and now the EU have messed that up - they now face months of overwhelmed hospitals, lockdowns and deaths. I don't blame any one nation doing all it can to save lives, but when they are undermining other countries, discrediting vaccines and making up lies about efficacy that is when the shit will hit the fan. The population was lose trust, and hope and goodwill and that inevitably leads to a very unstable situation.

They know this, and they are lashing out. It is always the people that suffer never the politicians.

EU population is roughly 7 x UK population, so if they’ve sent us 9.1 million doses does that mean they think UK should export 1.3 million to EU?

*will

@Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady

It's not really surprising now is it? The reports of low uptake in some EU countries.

I don't think I'd feel very confident in a vaccine that had been advertised as sub par...Oh no it's fine...Oh sorry it's deadly!...nope, we're back to it being fine again

that's my main concern that many people will reject it(they were already in France and Germany) luckily my Spanish friends cant wait t get vaccinated, and feel this is a shit show and that it could have been done differently