Coronavirus

[Mr K]

They finally got round to the young people

A drop of the dodgy AZN stuff for me, I am a shareholder so they need my support

[Pierre]

Von der Leyen throwing her toys out the pram again, all over a vaccine that no one in the EU wants............................................. .......

The problems in the EU are all down to AZ.

From Sky News:

She adds that AstraZeneca has "underproduced and underdelivered".

She appears to blame the company once again for delays to the EU's vaccine programme.

Ms von dey Leyen says there is the "crest of a third wave forming in member states" and refers to the increasing numbers of new variants.

Ursula von der Leyen hints very strongly that the EU could block vaccine exports to the UK.

Here are the relevant comments:

"Open roads run in both directions and this is why we need to ensure that there is reciprocity and proportionality

"I want to be clear on reciprocity. If the situation does not change, we will have to reflect on how to make exports to vaccine-producing countries dependent on their level of openness.

"We are exporting a lot to countries that are themselves producing vaccines and we think this is an invitation to be open, so we also see exports from them coming back to the European Union.

"The second point that is of importance for us, we will reflect on whether exports to countries who have higher vaccination rates than us are still proportionate."

She says that the AstraZeneca contract refers to two production sites in the UK "for potential deliveries to the EU".

"We are still waiting for doses to come from the UK, so this is an invitation to show us that there are also doses from the UK coming to the European Union," she adds.

These remarks now making it very clear who the previous threats were being directed at.

One journalist nails it.

The commission is asked why it is effectively sparking a "vaccine war" with the UK over exports of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, given that large numbers of doses are laying unused in some member states due to fears over side-effects.

It is suggested her remarks are designed to distract from the bloc's sluggish rollout of vaccines.

"I trust AstraZeneca, I trust the vaccines," Ms Von der Leyen insists.

Her butt is on the line and she’s desperately trying to deflect attention from the mess she has presided over - including the slackly worded contract with AZ. She has by now accepted she has no contractual right to AZ vaccines from the UK and is trying to turn it into a governmental issue. I.e. the UK government could, and should, be doing something to see vaccines shipped to the EU. This is of course based the fact that Pfizer vaccines are being shipped to the UK from the EU - though Von Der Lying appears to want to give the impression that this is down to EU largesse rather than a commercial supplier fulfilling their contract. There is no basis in contract, in law or in treaty for what she’s demanding.

And, of course, the real problem in the EU right now is member states bizarre, ongoing refusal to use the AZ doses they already have.

[Sephiroth]

Perhaps we can trade 1 million does for 2 years' grace extension period.

[1andrew1]

Ursula Von der Leyen is doing more to discredit the EU in four minutes than Farage has done in 40 years!

Now that Jeremy Corbyn has stepped down as BoJo's useful idiot, she seems to have stepped into his shoes and made it her own!

[Carth]

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

Perhaps we can trade 1 million does for 2 years' grace extension period.

. . or for more fish, everyone wants fish . . and lobster . . and car parts

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56435549

The NHS has written to local health organisations warning of a "significant reduction in weekly supply" of coronavirus vaccines from the week beginning 29 March for a month.

It says there has been a "reduction in national inbound vaccines supply".
It also says organisations should "ensure no further appointments are uploaded to the national booking system or local booking system" in April.

The BBC understands no one who has booked a vaccine should lose a slot.
Asked about the letter, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said "vaccine supply is always lumpy", and added that the NHS regularly sent out "technical letters" explaining the "ups and downs" of supply.

The BBC's politics editor Laura Kuenssberg has been told that fewer AstraZeneca vaccines are available than expected.

It is unclear what has caused this drop in supply from 29 March. Government sources are suggesting the amount produced by manufacturers is below the expected yields.

Vaccine production is a biological process so you cannot guarantee just how much is grown.

I wonder if "adequate project management risk analysis" was undertaken?

Honestly, I think this sort of thing will re-occur, as it’s a new complex process, and bumps on the road are to be expected - here’s hoping it won’t delay inoculation to the under-50s by much.

[Carth]

Apparently the EU have loads they don't want, mebbe we can have that

[1andrew1]

Originally Posted by Hugh

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-56435549

I wonder if "adequate project management risk analysis" was undertaken?

Honestly, I think this sort of thing will re-occur, as it’s a new complex process, and bumps on the road are to be expected - here’s hoping it won’t delay inoculation to the under-50s by much.

Also, there is no vaccine hanging around in the UK to smooth out the peaks and troughs of manufacturing, which I assume would be the case with other vaccines.

[papa smurf]

Originally Posted by Carth

Apparently the EU have loads they don't want, mebbe we can have that

They might not want it but they also don't want anyone else to have it.

[Carth]

Originally Posted by papa smurf

They might not want it but they also don't want anyone else to have it.

oh yeah

[jfman]

Leaked figures in January pointed to the UK getting around 11 million AZ and 4 million Pfizer in April. Be interesting to see what the actual outputs are.

If you were as cynical as I am, and you wanted to suspend the vaccine rollout for safety reasons except to people who have already not had an adverse reaction to the first dose, I’d maybe suggest this is a mechanism to do it.

[Sephiroth]

Originally Posted by Carth

Apparently the EU have loads they don't want, mebbe we can have that

I wouldn't touch it with Hugh's. Might be the bad batch.

[pip08456]

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

I wouldn't touch it with Hugh's. Might be the bad batch.

We don't need to.

“The UK has ordered 100 million doses of AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, of which 10 million doses will come from the Serum Institute of India,” a UK government spokesperson told Reuters.

https://www.reuters.com/article/heal...-idUSKCN2AV0A2

Meanwhile.

[nomadking]

I don't know whether it's still the case, but it should be pointed out to the EU that a key component of the Pfizer vaccine is produced in the UK. They are dependent on us.
Link

Croda is to play a vital role in the production of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine.
The East Yorkshire headquartered specialty chemical company has entered into an agreement with the US giant to supply a new ingredient that carries the active element into the body.
It will be produced at sites in the UK and US.