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

We have a French friend not far from Dijon, who is late 70s and hasn’t been offered any jab yet. Neither has her 50ish daughter, who is in a vulnerable category.

A BiL and French Sil, who spend a lot of time in Paris, where she has a flat, zoomed back to London PDQ when their London GP texted them to offer the vaccine. He is 80 and vulnerable, and obviously did not want to risk waiting.

Casdon

It’s the facts of the situation that matter GrannyGravy13. If you listen to what the people who live in France are saying, the picture is not as it’s being portrayed in the UK on the ground in France. The situation at present in France is not as serious as it was in the UK in January. They have had many thousands less deaths. The EU failed with vaccine procurement and are now trying hard to rectify that failure. These are facts. Pillorying President Macron is ill informed if you don’t cite the facts.

I just don’t understand the air of triumphalism some posters have about how difficult things are there, we should have some compassion for people losing their lives. Politics is less important than people surely?

Are you now denying that both President Macron and Chancellor Merkel have at times over the last weeks for lack of better words rubbished and demonised the Astra Zeneca vaccine with one breath and bemoaned the fact that they haven’t enough with the next?

Shall we have a go at the Canadian leadership? Or the Malaysian? Or is it just the European countries we're having a go at?

We are doing spectacularly well in the UK and its one thing we should all be happy with. Not as well as Israel, obviously. Many, many countries are rolling out slower than us, and with a limited capacity for vaccine production we should be thanking our lucky stars that we've got it. If its all down to the Conservative government, fine, good for them.

So when people start picking on the leaders of the EU countries and blaming them for perceived slowness, that's unfair. Other countries are going at similar, or even slower rates, but we're not all piling into telling the residents of their countries that their leaders are inept.

when actual real EU-dwellers have told you they are not near despairing. If that's not disingenuous then it is showing a marked lack of interest in what people are telling you

So the only source of information to be believed is posters on Gransnet who may live in one of the EU countries?
Must remember that.

It’s the facts of the situation that matter GrannyGravy13. If you listen to what the people who live in France are saying, the picture is not as it’s being portrayed in the UK on the ground in France. The situation at present in France is not as serious as it was in the UK in January. They have had many thousands less deaths. The EU failed with vaccine procurement and are now trying hard to rectify that failure. These are facts. Pillorying President Macron is ill informed if you don’t cite the facts.

I just don’t understand the air of triumphalism some posters have about how difficult things are there, we should have some compassion for people losing their lives. Politics is less important than people surely?

If you really want to hear what its like in the EU, listen to the people who live there and are telling you things from a basis of knowledge and data, not to the UK press with an axe to grind.

Just because we may not live there doesn't mean we don't have friends and family who do and with whom we are in touch.

Gransnetters are not the only source of information.

Alegrias1

Do you really want to have this conversation UG?

Your use of the word "despairing" above, when actual real EU-dwellers have told you they are not near despairing. If that's not disingenuous then it is showing a marked lack of interest in what people are telling you. I'm quite sure your friend in Malaga is very concerned. But despairing is a word used to try to make us think the people of the EU are at the end of their tether and its all Macron/Merkel/UvdL's fault.

If you really want to hear what its like in the EU, listen to the people who live there and are telling you things from a basis of knowledge and data, not to the UK press with an axe to grind.

I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who thinks that the EU / Merkel / Macron have handled this well. But constantly going on about how disastrous it all is isn't helping at all, is it?

Perhaps you should take your own advice Alegrias. Various people have come forward stating that various elderly people are still waiting to hear if and when they will get their jab.

Speaking to my stepsister today, who spent our childhood telling me that she’s one week older than me. She has lived in France for years now. Her partner was going for his first jab today and hers is on the 12th. She has just been discharged from hospital following knee surgery.

My OHs second one is due at the end of April and I am wondering if I could get mine a week early as my new grandson is due early May and we may be needed to help with his big sister. I’ll have to enquire.

My friends in the Netherlands are getting the vaccines. They are now vaccinating all those born in 1947 and 1948. They are given the time of their second vaccine when they book the first and often well within 12 weeks.

I think the penny has finally dropped!!!

The only leader and political party that it is OK to criticise is Mr.Johnson and the Conservatives...

Yes GrannyGravy didn't you know, how dare any posters criticise the sainted EU and its leaders ?

I think you have hit the nail on the head GG13!!

If you really want to hear what its like in the EU, listen to the people who live there and are telling you things from a basis of knowledge and data, not to the UK press with an axe to grind.

But I am listening to my friends in Spain. You may say Alegrias that my friend is nit despairing. You don’t know her as I do. She is a very anxious lady and desperately wants, at her age, to be offered a vaccination! Another friend is 77y. He has type 2 diabetes and uses regular inhalers for his asthma. He is registered at a different health centre in Benalmadena and neither he nor his 75y old wife have been offered one yet.

Their experience of non roll out are real. In fact, my friend went so far as to say no-one knows of anyone yet who has been vaccinated! So yes, they are worried.

I think the penny has finally dropped!!!

The only leader and political party that it is OK to criticise is Mr.Johnson and the Conservatives...

As for using the word despairing well my friends and EU based family are despairing fact!

Useful article here:
www.thelocal.es/20210303/spains-covid-19-vaccine-calendar-when-will-i-get-it/

I only know that the roll-out is slow and my Spanish co-grandparent is still waiting. May be worth looking at The Local for Spain? My grandchildren's teachers have all been done as have police and health workers. Covid seems to have been quiet where they live; I don't think the UK variant has taken off as it has here.

Do you really want to have this conversation UG?

Your use of the word "despairing" above, when actual real EU-dwellers have told you they are not near despairing. If that's not disingenuous then it is showing a marked lack of interest in what people are telling you. I'm quite sure your friend in Malaga is very concerned. But despairing is a word used to try to make us think the people of the EU are at the end of their tether and its all Macron/Merkel/UvdL's fault.

If you really want to hear what its like in the EU, listen to the people who live there and are telling you things from a basis of knowledge and data, not to the UK press with an axe to grind.

I think you'd be hard pressed to find anyone who thinks that the EU / Merkel / Macron have handled this well. But constantly going on about how disastrous it all is isn't helping at all, is it?

Urmstongran

Where have I been disingenuous? My friend and neighbour in Malaga has just been on the phone. Not a peep of a vaccine yet for her (she’s 85y) nor her friend (who is 88y). She is anxious, wants to be vaccinated. She said she contacted the health centre where she is registered (she has been fully resident for years) and was told ‘no vaccines yet’. As she just said to me, what on earth is going on??

That’s seems to be the story all over Southern Spain,Urmstongran . Only one of our friends has had the vaccine, they are 81, his wife was told she will have to wait because they have not got any vaccines and no idea when/ if they will get anymore by their Doctor.

Where have I been disingenuous? My friend and neighbour in Malaga has just been on the phone. Not a peep of a vaccine yet for her (she’s 85y) nor her friend (who is 88y). She is anxious, wants to be vaccinated. She said she contacted the health centre where she is registered (she has been fully resident for years) and was told ‘no vaccines yet’. As she just said to me, what on earth is going on??

Please keep posting UG. Just realise that when you post disingenuously you might have it pointed out to you.

Everybody is entitled to their own view of course, but listening to the experiences of the people who live in the countries that we are expressing our views about is really important because they don’t have the distorted view of the situation on the ground that we are given by the press in the UK. Many of us prefer to use our own filters and look for information from different sources, such as Mamie has provided above.

I know that not everybody wants to know the detail, or the facts around some of the issues, but you have to expect to be challenged by those who do try to if you post unfounded speculation. I just don’t think UK has anything to be proud of other than the procurement of the vaccine - you only have to look at the death rate, and the pictures in the press of all the bun fights this week to see that.

There will always be people who disagree and even get annoyed Urmstongran but that shouldn't deter you from posting, especially on the thread you started which has produced some very informative and interesting responses.

FWIW If I'd written your post @ 13.52 it would have been identical.

Urmstongran please do not be bullied off of the thread, your opinions and interpretation of the subject matter are just as valid as anyone’s.

I’m not going to post on this subject any more. I think I’m annoying people and that’s genuinely not my intention.

I think some of the British press and media are wrong and seriously out of date. We have actually given up our subscription to the Guardian after more than 50 years because we have been so appalled by inaccurate reporting.
The data is available. This is the site. Infection rates, vaccination rates, départemental rates.
covidtracker.fr/
Press coverage is huge. Yesterday's television news had a lovely story of the fire brigade visiting extremely remote mountain areas to vaccinate people who cannot travel.
Two million people in a week is not "rubbish". It really isn't.

No, I’m not easily offended Alegrias but thank you for wondering if I might be.

Yes I voted for Brexit.
Yes I think the EU procurement for vaccines was poor.
I think we can all agree on that?
Yes I do think Maxron & Merkel made a bad situation worse.
Yes I disagree with UvdL trying to stop exports from factories.
No I don’t think I’m being disingenuous about European citizens being annoyed/frightened/despairing with vaccine protection being offered.

We all need to be vaccinated to be safe from Covid. I’m just genuinely frustrated with the inept handing of a roll out across Europe. And yes, I do think their politicians have added fuel to the fire.

GagaJo

I apprecitate Switzerland isn't Europe, but I am getting my vaccination here next week.

Blimey Gagajo when did Switzerland move?