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

Yes I am denying that GG13. For what feels like the 45th time. Some weeks ago Macron made some ill-informed remarks to a small group of journalists. It was barely reported here in France but blown up into huge proportions by the UK media. He then made lots of supportive remarks about it including saying he would have it himself and the Prime Minister actually having the vaccine was widely reported.
AZ have only delivered 25% of the doses that were promised. People don't like that. Some are worried about the rusk of blood clots. Nevertheless all the AZ delivered is being used.

I have always said the people are the victims here Casdon!

I can’t imagine how upset I’d feel if I were almost 90y without any offer of a vaccine yet.

Witzend I don't think your friend should be waiting to be offered a jab. She is eligible by age. She should either go online and book one or phone the helpline or talk to her doctor. They have started phoning the over 75s now, but I don't think waiting to hear is the best way forward.

It all depends what slant each and everyone wants to take on things.
I had an email from the Chairman of Brittany Ferries, a French Company, yesterday. I am a frequent voyageur in the club.
The tone was very apologetic, they can only take bookings for 2022 from Monday.
BUT he says, It goes without saying that ongoing uncertainty from the UK government is not helpful for anyone. Then carries on that if the news from 10 Downing Street is not good BF will amend bookings free of charge. They are ready to serve us!
The blame is being put on Boris not allowing us to travel. But hang on a minute, who is slowing all this down and causing the delay?
I just thought I'd add that anecdote while gazing longingly across a sunny blue sea to France this afternoon.

Mamie we can only comment on what we have seen and read in/on MSM.

You posted he said it to a small group of journalists.

Mamie Thank you for that info. I had been trying on those sites - the problem was that the centre nearest to me was responding only to phone calls. Each time I phoned the answerphone told me that all the lines were engaged and I should try later. I went to the pharmacie last Tuesday, was put on their list and have got an appointment for next Friday. Now that the pharmacies have got involved the rollout has become more efficient. The latest figures show that 13.8% of the population have been vaccinated.

Alegrias1 all of us with friends and family in the EU and beyond have a story to tell regarding the vaccination situation. One story shouldn’t take precedence over another surely?

No, but we should listen to them all. Mine and yours.

GrannyGravy13

Mamie we can only comment on what we have seen and read in/on MSM.

You posted he said it to a small group of journalists.

Posting to a small group of journalists usually means it is then widely reported, surely?

Could you forward The Local article about the roll-out in Spain to your friend Ug?
I think the counter to feeling anxious and frustrated is to understand the situation, keep informed and be proactive. It is no good expecting to get a vaccine until your group is eligible. We have just kept on shielding as we have since the beginning. We signed up ready, knew when our group was eligible and took action straight away. Even if people don't speak the language, the information is out there.

She isn’t tech-savvy Mamie. She doesn’t have broadband. She doesn’t know how to navigate around her phone. Only phone calls, taken & received, updates on the BBC and SKY news and calling the health centre, which she will try again after the Easter shut down. All her friends are about the same age and are in the same boat. She waits patiently but is very anxious.

It is hard to get a clear picture of what happened Callistemon. There was quite a lot of discussion about what he actually said and what was translated. He certainly said the wrong thing but the words and context are unclear. It was an official briefing but it wasn't picked up and reported here.
Do other leaders never get anything wrong?

Mamie oh yes other leaders do get things wrong, particularly Mr.Johnson.

Goodness Ug that does sound difficult. Are there no support groups around? When we spent winter breaks in Andalucia we used to read the English language newspapers which were full of helpful stuff. Do they not still exist?

I guess what matters GG13 is impact. All the AZ vaccine is being used here and I find it hard to believe that his words as reported by the UK press would have much impact in other countries.
I am full of praise for the Oxford researchers, their brilliance, hard work and their ideals, but I don't think the AZ communications have been well handled. Soriot has certainly ruffled a lot of feathers.

I agree with Casdon about the inflammatory language being used. If people are elderly (and now that I'm 74 I class the over 80's as elderly) and especially if they are in their own, they may well be anxious.

Despairing means hopelessness, feeling very sad and without hope or feeling that there is no hope or that you can do nothing to improve the situation.

I would suggest that there are very few people who really feel the above. Anxious, worried - yes. Despairing - no. We all know that we will get the vaccination at some point in the near future.

I would have thought that the rollout would be relatively straight forward in those countries where flu jabs are routinely given (although it didn't work in France to begin with). Does Spain have a flu jab programme?

Mamie we need the vulnerable worldwide to be vaccinated, at some point ALL world leaders are going to have to co-operate.

For what it’s worth my opinion is that this could have been a lot easier if individual countries had done their own procurement, as Ursula Van de Leyen appears to have fanned the flames of controversy over EU procurement.

Yes of course Mamie. She reads the Euro Weekly News, the SUR in English and the Olive Press. She and her friends and neighbours call on each other with any snippets of news. She lives alone and says ‘technology’s passed me by’. She s anxious but realises that surely this awful worrying situation (her words, not mine) can’t be for much longer? She plans to contact her health centre (again) on Tuesday.

Fingers and toes crossed for her.

Yes I agree the EU procurement was slow, but I think they were trying to ensure equality for all the countries, large and small. I think France was very slow to start implementation of the programme and we are a couple of months behind the UK. That plus the huge surge in the UK variant has brought us to where we are, but all the evidence says that the roll-out has massively increased in pace and is going well.
I was very anxious in December about my grandchildren at school in Kent and I think they were very lucky not to get the virus. We are fortunately able to shield and limit our exposure until the vaccines take effect. If I was in a job in a high-risk area that meant that I faced exposure every day, then I would be much more worried.
Every country has been on the same journey.

Ug it looks as if she is in an eligible group and the article says that Andalucia is doing well.

Like a lot of people I am cross that the misinformation about the efficacy of the AZ vaccine being spouted by the likes of Macron and Merkel will have an adverse effect on our vaccine take up.

Even though both those leaders have backtracked somewhat, the message coming from them was clear saying as they did that the Astra Zeneca vaccine was not very effective for older folk, and could cause blood clots.

Despite assurances from experts here that the vaccine is safe and effective, there are bound to be some groups of people who now distrust ALL vaccines.

Our rollout has been brilliant so far but it would be dreadful if those two ill informed leaders managed to scupper it.

Weirdly despite all their negative comments they seem desperate to get their hands on AZ supplies destined for here and ordered and paid for by us.

Absolutely Jennifer especially as it was all political machinations.They must be grinding their teeth that the UK is doing so well.
All their own fault for demanding more AZ vaccine with one hand whilst rubbishing it with the other. It’s the people in their own countries that have/will suffer, I wonder if they care about that fact?

The Merkel thing....

Germany's regulators decided not to recommend the AZ vaccine for over 65s. We may think that's the wrong recommendation, but that's what they said. They wanted to get more information. Angela Merkel is 66, so when she was asked, she said that she wouldn't be getting the AZ vaccine.

The regulators then revised their viewpoint and said it was good for everybody.

Then they revised it again and said that for now, with the concern over blood clots, it was only good for over 60s because of the comparative size of the risks.

So Mrs Merkel said she would be having it.

All along, she's abided by what the German regulators said. We might think they have made the wrong decisions, but don't blame Merkel for sticking to what her scientists are telling her.

maddyone

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

There is also the fact that people might just want a vaccine with a higher efficacy rate.

Anyone I know who has a preference against AstraZeneca is due to efficacy rate. About half of those people also are not fans of a factor vaccine and would prefer the mRNA type.

Urmstongran

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!

I wasn't suggesting you had been on weird sites Urmsotngran My thoughts are more about how much those setting out to influence, from an extreme, are successfully influencing our press.

Slightly off-topic but pertinent, I believe, I heard only today that the Government (and influencer in its own right) only issued the selected members of the press at its launch (R4 Any Questions). Why? Is the government not for all the people any more? We know it has been keen to keep parliament and all other parts of government out of the loop - why not the voter?