Coronavirus (2021) thread

[MillionMilesAway]

Are the EU honestly threatening to stop vaccines coming to the UK?

That's a bit of a broad question. As yet, it appears that the EU have requested a detailed delivery plan. I think at the moment that options have been aired, and no threat made yet as yet.

They are looking at AZ telling them that the supply is going to drop by 60%. That presumably means the EU planning is ruined, and they're looking to see if there is a way out of the problem.

Most govts would do exactly the same in the situation. It isn't an altruistic game where one country will just give way to another without a fight, and govts will not play nice over this.

 

[feelymcfeel]

Der Spiegel is.

Have they tried to blame City yet?

 

[Del_Bosque]

Hefty law suit?

 

[MillionMilesAway]

It still seems to me that AZ and Pfizer have promised quantities of vaccine that they cannot produce in the agreed timescale. That's totally irresponsible in a pandemic and inevitably causes a lot of concern.

It's certainly awkward, but I think both have had production issues which have thrown their predictions off; they may well have been okay without the issues. If the Wrexham plant had been flooded, the UK supply would have crashed.

I'm fairly sure that they predicted high, and the govts based their planning on what they were told; they've then told their people what the predicted schedule is. However, it all comes down to what was actually promised, and how badly it's being reported. As far as I know, AZ are doing it at cost price at the moment, and claiming they are being irresponsible seems pretty harsh.

 

[grunge]

Are the EU honestly threatening to stop vaccines coming to the UK?

If what they have said is accurate its ALL exports. not just UK.

to be honest stuff like this is entirely expected even if it doesn't happen now. USA did it with PPE at the start where they confiscated shipments meant for other countries, India stopped exporting Antibiotics etc etc.

But as someone said above it sounds like typical media playing silly buggers.

 

[lancs blue]

That's a bit of a broad question. As yet, it appears that the EU have requested a detailed delivery plan. I think at the moment that options have been aired, and no threat made yet as yet.

They are looking at AZ telling them that the supply is going to drop by 60%. That presumably means the EU planning is ruined, and they're looking to see if there is a way out of the problem.

Most govts would do exactly the same in the situation. It isn't an altruistic game where one country will just give way to another without a fight, and govts will not play nice over this.

There's also the little matter of 2.7 bn euros of EU funding granted to pharmaceutical companies last October to facilitate a rapid increase in vaccine production which is seemingly not happening. As you say, governments get selfish in these situations.

 

[MillionMilesAway]

Hefty law suit?

The Handelsblatt piece was not sourced - it seems to have been either misleading or wrong, and a number of journalists tweeting about it have withdrawn their tweets.

There was then a twitterstorm.

 

[Marvin]

There does not seem to be much of a joined-up approach in fighting Covid. Variants that can evade the vaccines are a problem. Each country does its own thing which amounts to a ban on travel from South Africa but how about cutting the South African epidemic at source before it shifts again and moves beyond us. We can do it if we want but it requires international co-operation. THat's not happening is it? IN fact what we are seeing is protectionism between trading blocs.

 

[MillionMilesAway]

There's also the little matter of 2.7 bn euros of EU funding granted to pharmaceutical companies last October to facilitate a rapid increase in vaccine production which is seemingly not happening. As you say, governments get selfish in these situations.

I don't know about the funding issue and what's been done with it, so can't comment.

It's not that long ago that UK ministers (?) were floating the idea of using gunboats against fishermen - I don't think we're in any position to take the high ground!

 

[lancs blue]

It's certainly awkward, but I think both have had production issues which have thrown their predictions off; they may well have been okay without the issues. If the Wrexham plant had been flooded, the UK supply would have crashed.

I'm fairly sure that they predicted high, and the govts based their planning on what they were told; they've then told their people what the predicted schedule is. However, it all comes down to what was actually promised, and how badly it's being reported. As far as I know, AZ are doing it at cost price at the moment, and claiming they are being irresponsible seems pretty harsh.

Maybe it is harsh but pharmaceutical companies have never been shy in the past of placing profit above people's well-being.