The E.U. And AstraZeneca row.

Michael Gove has stated quite firmly that our vaccination supply will most definitely not be interrupted.

I find it extraordinary that the EU which still hasn’t authorised the AZ vaccine and pre ordered three months after us, expects our programme to be delayed because of their incompetence.

JenniferEccles

Michael Gove has stated quite firmly that our vaccination supply will most definitely not be interrupted.

I find it extraordinary that the EU which still hasn’t authorised the AZ vaccine and pre ordered three months after us, expects our programme to be delayed because of their incompetence.

You haven’t a clue if that is what is being suggested. Have you read the contract? Or are you allowing your anti-EU bias to colour your judgement?

Gove said that ZA were contractually obliged to a schedule to the U.K.

I suspect that the EU did not.

So, will I get my second dose of the AZ vaccine in 6 weeks time as promised ? I doubt it ! Ah well.

Excellent cnn article posted by Casdon.
Suggest we all read before commenting.

The latest vaccination figures in Europe.

The Government was invited to join the EU joint procurement system but declined and made use of emergency authorisation procedures, open to all EU member states, to speed up approval of vaccines.

Brussels sneered that it preferred not to take such risks!

Actually the European Commission has still not approved it. Maybe by the end of the week? Assume there have been no red flags. You have to feel for the citizens under EU procurement. Spain has had to pause their roll out.

Australia won't be getting their vaccines until April I think my D said, just before their winter.

I am sure everyone is aware that it’s in all our interests for the whole world to be vaccinated as quickly as possible, but it’s just totally unacceptable for the EU to attempt to requisition millions of doses destined for us.

I was amused to read that the German press has stated that the EU’s handling of the vaccine rollout is ‘the best advert for Brexit’ !
The German press!!

I read that this morning too JE!

Credit to the UK where it is due I think.

In March last year, Oxford University was on the brink of signing a deal with the German drugs giant Merck to research and develop a vaccine.

Our government stepped in and helped steer Oxford towards a partnership with British-based AstraZeneca instead, taking a massive gamble by helping to fund the research and development of a vaccine that might have proved useless.

And, earlier this week Merck, the firm that had come so close to signing up with Oxford, said it was abandoning developing a vaccine after disappointing trial results.

We backed the right horse. Lucky for us.

Germany is also saying that the AZ vaccine is no good for those who are over 65 because the efficacy rate will only be 8% ! Brilliant .

Are we over 65's not fit for purpose so we're being killed off by issuing us with a vaccine that isn't going to work ?

I think Germany is playing games. They haven’t enough vaccines so are limiting by age groups. The AZ vaccine has been scientifically proven to work well on the over 65’s. It was just that only 8% of those tested were over 65y.

That 8% figure has been widely disproved. They were looking at the wrong bit of the report.....

Cross post Urmstongran

From the Spectator (PW)

It turns out that deploying vaccines is harder than it looks. A quick glance at the league tables makes that clear. Israel has jabbed a remarkable 45 per cent of the population, by far the highest rate in the world. The United Arab Emirates has managed 26 per cent, partly with China’s Sinopharm shot. The UK has managed a very credible 10.5 per cent, and the United States 6.9 per cent. But the rest of Europe has been lamentable. Only 2.1 per cent of Germans have been inoculated, and less than 1.6 per cent of people in France — which lags behind Slovakia.

At the current rate of the rollout, it will be 2024 before most of Europe hits the 70 per cent inoculation level believed to be necessary to take a population to a critical level of immunity. Australia and Japan have not even started yet, while much of the developing world is being left to fend for itself. At this rate, of the major economies, only the United States and Britain will vaccinate themselves out of lockdown this year, and both countries may have to introduce strict travel restrictions to avoid importing new strains from abroad.

And this may clarify a little: (same article)

Britain, spooked by the battle to find plastic gloves and other PPE in the first wave, wrote into its contract with Oxford-AstraZeneca a stipulation that vaccines made in Britain would be offered to Britain first. We signed in May. The EU dithered for an extra three months and didn’t agree terms until the end of August. It failed to extract similar promises on delivery. It will now wish that it had.

11:21biba70

The front pages of the gutter press in the UK today are utterly shameful. And then they will wonder why the EU is not cooperating on this, and on oter matters to do with customs, imports, exports, etc. Truly disgusting.

Actually I copied the information from The Oxford University website.
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https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202101/medium-367227-screenshot-20210128-143323-com-android-chrome.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202101/medium-116144-screenshot-20210128-143352-com-android-chrome.jpg

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Good posts from Urms and PippaZ. Never thought I’d say that in the same sentence. Both showing the UK in a very good light for decisions made re vaccines.

The emperor has been shown to have no clothes so he's probably feeling a little bit vulnerable ?

Hey PippaZ ! ?

Just now on SKY news. Germany is sticking to its guns regarding not giving AZ for 65y and older. Even if the European Commission pass it.

Germany are on a hastily convened Plan B. Give the most vulnerable Pzifer and Moderna.

Then, when more supplies become available give AZ to the younger and less vulnerable groups.

Actually, it makes sense.

LauraNorder

Good posts from Urms and PippaZ. Never thought I’d say that in the same sentence. Both showing the UK in a very good light for decisions made re vaccines.

Thank you LauraNorder. Your "Never thought" sentence made me laugh so that's sanity for another day, isn't it?

On the downside this At the current rate of the rollout, it will be 2024 before most of Europe hits the 70 per cent inoculation level believed to be necessary to take a population to a critical level of immunity., does not bode well. However, this too will change I have no doubt, as other vaccines come on line.

Agree PippaZ we need the world to be vaccinated, I’m sure the EU will sort itself out. I’d like to see surplus going to the poorest countries, pretty sure we can all agree on that.

I gather from what I have been hearing from interviews this afternoon, that we help establish the Oxford University ties with AZ. Originally it was going to work with an American Company but Matt Handcock (and others I imagine) wanted a more and closer control. As this was almost certainly well before we knew the outcome of the US election that sounds like a sensible move to me.

The agreement also meant that the AZ Oxford vaccine would be sold at a not for profit level. I also gathered, although I haven't verified this, that AZ was not a vaccine company previously which may be why they are have production problems although I think any company could be finding the level of production a challenge whatever their background.

help helped