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The EU are on a collision course with the UK over vaccines.

(445 Posts)
Urmstongran Mon 22-Mar-21 09:11:31

The Prime Minister will today begin calling EU leaders in an attempt to convince them not to block exports of the AstraZeneca jab from a factory in the Netherlands.

Mairead McGuinness, the EU’s commissioner for financial services, yesterday said EU citizens were “growing angry and upset at the fact that the vaccine rollout has not happened as rapidly as we had anticipated” and indicated officials would be willing to block exports to speed it up.

I think this is getting quite scary.

Urmstongran Sat 03-Apr-21 08:46:41

Well I haven’t been on the internet looking at weird sites! All my information has come from the Guardian, the Telegraph and the Daily Mail.
?
If I can find these articles anyone can!

Mamie Sat 03-Apr-21 08:54:56

I agree PippaZ. Just suppose somebody on Gransnet lives in one of the places mentioned by Urmstongran as having "not much vaccine roll-out" and believes that (mis)information. What might the consequences be?
I am not frightened about living in France, but I am increasingly frightened by opinion from dubious sources being touted as fact.
I have very little time for things like vaccine scepticism, but I have even less time for political corruption being shrugged off and endless tolerance extended to politicians for personal misdemeanours which would bring the full fury of media attention to members of the opposition.
Whatever happened to unbiased opinion, evidence and facts?

GrannyGravy13 Sat 03-Apr-21 08:58:38

There was a 10 minute dry informative piece on President Macron and the roll out of vaccines in France on the BBC Breakfast News this morning.
One lady who really stood out for me, was in hospital with Covid on oxygen and still vehemently saying she will not have the Astra Zeneca vaccine.

GrannyGravy13 Sat 03-Apr-21 08:58:59

*dry should be very

Mamie Sat 03-Apr-21 09:14:30

The data for vaccines shows roughly 8.5 Pfizer, 800,000 Moderna and 2.5m AZ.
This reflects the proportion of vaccines received. I don't have the exact figure, but I think AZ have only delivered about 25% of the contract.
Strange that the BBC picked on that person GrannyGravy13 rather than the people queuing up at the doctors and pharmacies for AZ.

maddyone Sat 03-Apr-21 10:13:42

One lady who really stood out for me, was in hospital with Covid on oxygen and still vehemently saying she will not have the Astra Zeneca vaccine.

Unfortunately there’s still no cure for stupid!

Callistemon Sat 03-Apr-21 11:08:04

I do think we should question where some of the ideas on here are coming from, as opinion is thrown about with no reference to what it's based on.

The information I posted came from Worldometer.

Our sources include Official Websites of Ministries of Health or other Government Institutions and Government authorities' social media accounts. Because national aggregates often lag behind the regional and local health departments' data, part of our work consists in monitoring thousands of daily reports released by local authorities. Our multilingual team also monitors press briefings' live streams throughout the day. Occasionally, we can use a selection of leading and trusted news wires with a proven history of accuracy in communicating the data reported by Governments in live press conferences before it is published on the Official Websites.

Mamie Sat 03-Apr-21 11:33:22

Maybe the lady with Covid, in hospital and on oxygen, wasn't too pleased about someone turning up to ask her what flavour vaccine she would like?
She might or might not be stupid, but perhaps not the best circumstances under which to make assumptions?

mokryna Sat 03-Apr-21 12:14:53

GrannyGravy13 I saw the summary, I felt it was a shame that it didn’t go back to the beginning of March 2020 and compare with other countries.

maddyone Sat 03-Apr-21 12:35:39

I’ve been in hospital with Covid Mamie, on oxygen for twelve days, and receiving many drugs and treatments. If someone had asked if I wanted a vaccine, I would have bitten their hand off for it.
Someone has done a good job of terrifying many people about vaccines. Anyone who has experienced Covid as I did, and would still refuse a vaccine must be either stupid or terrified.

Urmstongran Sat 03-Apr-21 12:37:54

Paris civil protection volunteers Kathlyn Millot and Sebastien Arribas take to the streets of the city as they try to persuade people to have the AstraZeneca jab CREDIT: Henry Samuel
Two Parisian municipal employees approach a middle-aged woman in a run-down district of the capital's eastern 20th arrondissement.

"Good afternoon Madame, are you over 55? Would you like a vaccine?"

"Which vaccine?" the woman asks, cocking an eyebrow.

"AstraZeneca."

"Non, merci."

maddyone Sat 03-Apr-21 12:43:19

Incidentally when I first went into hospital and after a chest X-ray was told I had Covid pneumonia, I can say truthfully I was very afraid. I knew that Covid pneumonia is what often kills people with Covid. I was also very afraid when told I may have blood clots in my lungs and needed a CT scan to check. Thankfully after the scan it transpired that I didn’t have blood clots in my lungs and I was very relieved to hear that. I know the fear that having Covid brings, and therefore I cannot understand any sane person turning down a vaccine. People should be afraid of Covid, not vaccines.

maddyone Sat 03-Apr-21 12:46:19

And for anyone to terrify people about vaccines during a pandemic which has killed so many people, it is frankly despicable.

Alegrias1 Sat 03-Apr-21 12:47:15

Ug, you're starting to look as though you have an agenda...

We understand that you think the French are all running away from the AZ vaccine as fast as their legs will carry them. We understand that you think Macron is almost solely responsible for generating false news about the vaccine and turning his people against it. We also understand that you think anything a leader from an EU country does is principally to get back at the Brits.

Really, we've got it. You can let drop. We've got it. hmm

p.s. - in case anyone was worrying about it, the image is from the Telegraph shock

maddyone Sat 03-Apr-21 12:50:59

I needed a CT scan to check for blood clots when I had Covid because Covid causes blood clots. People have died from blood clots caused by Covid.

vegansrock Sat 03-Apr-21 12:51:39

There was a piece on radio 4 from a vaccine centre in the U.K. where the nurse in charge said some people turned up and refused to have the AZ vaccine and made another appointment in the hope it would be the PZr vacccine on another day. It’s not just furriners folks.

Casdon Sat 03-Apr-21 12:55:31

The irony is that a care home worker in the UK could have been substituted for the middle aged lady in Paris, and would also have refused the vaccine. Pot, kettle, black?

maddyone Sat 03-Apr-21 12:56:02

Alegrias
I think we all have an agenda. The agenda we all have is that as many people as possible get vaccinated as soon as possible. It’s the only way that all of us will get back to some semblance of normality. We all need everyone, wherever they live, to get themselves vaccinated as soon as possible. The world is lucky that so many scientists have worked so hard to give us back our lives. To have some people rejecting a vaccine because they’ve been terrified against it is simply immoral in my opinion.

Galaxy Sat 03-Apr-21 12:56:14

And calling people stupid or insane is really not going to help. I mean people can do that, free speech and all that, but it will just make the situation worse.

maddyone Sat 03-Apr-21 12:57:10

Casdon
Yes, they’re either stupid or terrified. What could have terrified them?

maddyone Sat 03-Apr-21 13:00:27

Galaxy
No, calling people stupid will not make them change their minds, you’re absolutely correct. What would you call it? Informed? Sensible?

Alegrias1 Sat 03-Apr-21 13:02:20

I agree with you maddyone, we all have an interest in getting as many people vaccinated as possible.

We don't all have an interest in spreading rumours about other countries and their leaders in a transparent attempt to make ourselves appear like the best country at dealing with COVID. And we don't all have an interest in denying what people who actually live in other countries are saying its like on the ground there. And then passing it off as "opinion".

Alegrias1 Sat 03-Apr-21 13:03:29

maddyone

Galaxy
No, calling people stupid will not make them change their minds, you’re absolutely correct. What would you call it? Informed? Sensible?

Misinformed. Worried. Scared. In need of reassurance.

I can probably think of more if you give me half an hour.

Urmstongran Sat 03-Apr-21 13:03:30

I don’t want to let it drop Alegrias as it’s in the news daily still. It’s important. I’m not letting it drop. If I find relevant interesting articles I’m going to post them.

Whether or not you choose to respond to them however is entirely up to you. I dare say if no-one else is interested this topic will wither on the vine. Until then ....

Firecracker123 Sat 03-Apr-21 13:03:36

I'd call it the Macron Effect ?