[Closed] EU Vaccine suspensions

Just desperately sad to see the news tonight. Europe having a third wave which should have/ could have been avoided.

And evidently it’s all the U.K.’s fault.
We gave the E.U a virulent strain and hogged all the vaccines.

Well that’s what some want us to believe, glossing over the fact that the government/Nuffield/Crick/Oxford etc got their act together and quickly with funding plus Ox-Bio offered the E.U a manufacturing facility (identically to the one getting high yields) which was refused.
U.K. invested the almost the same as the E.U and the results are obvious to see.

More dither and delay from the E.U will possibly see it match the U.K.’s abysmal covid stats.

Edukator
Free Member
So, Poopscoop, you just drop in and post some provoctive reproaches about European Covid politics and then don’t want to argue about it. That’s called trolling.

Oh and from what I remember, “mate” to someone you’re far from mates with is an insult.

You know what @Edukator. I actually feel a little hurt by that. Nothing i said was trolling, and i used "mate" in a genuinely conciliatory tone. If it came across as trolling I'm honestly sorry.

Thanks for making my day just a little but worse than it was though.

For what it's worth I had you down as one of the many good guys on here. That opinion won't change but I'd prefer your anger pointed in another direction this evening please?

And how should Europe have avoided a third wave, Poopscoop? Maybe Europe should have completely closed its borders with the UK 12 months ago then we wouldn’t have been infected with the Kent variant that developped in a country that let the virus rip thus increasing the risk of mutations. Because the third wave is the Kent variant, that much is clear.

Had enough of this toxic anti-Europe stuff now.

Yet you post toxic anti UK stuff....

The virus is going to mutate and more than once, the Kent variant isn't scaring people half as much as the South African one, the Brazil one may be dangerous but who knows. Add in the fact that similar mutations can occur spontaneously geographic naming doesn't really help anyone

Yet you hope to have friends travel over in the late summer, are you bonkers or just selfish? Any country encouraging foreign tourists is just going to seed more variants at the destination and at home on return. If a population level of vaccinations isn't achieved due to hesitancy then it's going to be sloshing around the world for years with regular jabs trying to keep up with the variants for the willing

Maybe Europe should have completely closed its borders with the UK 12 months ago then we wouldn’t have been infected with the Kent variant that developped in a country that let the virus rip thus increasing the risk of mutations. Because the third wave is the Kent variant, that much is clear.

The so-called British or Kent variant is so-called because the UK is the world leader in sequencing SARS-COV2 genomes and discovered it first. There's no proof it arose from Kent or the UK. It could have arisen in Belgium or France or anywhere else in Europe.

In fact I wish Europe had closed its borders with the UK 12 months ago then UK pandemic tourists in Spain wouldn't have brought back more COVID into the UK during the summer- fact proved by genomic testing that largest % variant in the UK after summer came from Spain

"The so-called British or Kent variant is so-called because the UK is the world leader in sequencing SARS-COV2 genomes and discovered it first."

This...

Just a thought with regards the higher death rate in the UK. UK cities are on average three times the size of those in similarly sized European countries. We are massively more urbanised than Germany, France, Spain or Italy. Given that fact wasnt it inevitable that we'd be hit harder? With the exception of New York and LA provincial UK cities are larger than provincial US cities as well.

The so-called British or Kent variant is so-called because the UK is the world leader in sequencing SARS-COV2 genomes and discovered it first

This isn't true at all, tho we are world leaders in sequencing

The B117 variant has spread through the UK before any other country in Europe , other countries sequence too, just not to our capacity, the surge in cases there now is because it's taken a while to get a foothold there

Population density and things like household occupancy are big factors, but Johnson delaying lockdown at the start and again before xmas meant that we were always going to be hit so hard
(Sweden with lowest household occupancy in Europe, but lax lockdown compared to other Nordic have the death rate to prove this)

SAGE warned in September that we needed to lockdown again, bt instead Yeadon & Gupta were consulted, despite their theories & predictions already being discredited

The inquiry that comes will surely have to focus on that, half UK deaths were over this xmas, which is why we've had to have the strictest lockdown in Europe these last few months

Yes to the above. Both late lockdowns unforgivable.

Look the UK gots lots wrong, especially lockdowns which have taken a huge human and economic toll we will have to live with. Europe generally did better with the lockdowns but not exactly brilliantly, don't forget this started in Europe in the Ski resorts and exploded outwards. The UK somehow got it right on the vaccine front, to be fair all the way through vaccines have been consistently pushed as the answer and we've done a lot better with supply and distribution. Europe (EU) has made an absolute mess of it and have sunk to our governments level of blaming a foreign country for it's short comings. Its sad to see the EU behave thus way, I'd rather hoped the commission was above country level childishness.

As for Ed's continued drivel, the only thing that really matters is speed of vaccination. If the UK or AZ had really done anything wrong there would have been much stronger action taken by the EU.

The UK somehow got it right on the vaccine front

As the article someone linked to earlier says, our government has made a series of gambles on vaccines which have largely paid off, essentially. Mainly because Matt Hancock was moved by the film Contagion 🤪

I'm sure had the gambles not paid off they would have taken full responsibility, just like they have for the NHS' their success 🤣

Eg we decided to concentrate on first doses and delay second doses even though at the time we didn't know if that would be ok as it wasn't tested that way.

Eg we decided to concentrate on first doses and delay second doses even though at the time we didn’t know if that would be ok as it wasn’t tested that way.

We didn't immediately, there was a lot of debate, I don't think they moved on this until the scientific advice said do it.

The way we decided to procure was the initiative, the person who led it got a lot of stick for being a front/wife of someone, but she helped make it work assisted by buckets of our cash

The EU procurement strategy was different, led by a different type of person, it's costing them less and the guarantees are better

Covid is a challenge and the only way to see who got it right is to look back in 10 years time, I doubt any country didn't make a mistake

^ spot on.

Must admit when listening to Kate Bingham she just oozes competence and can do.

Yep time will tell.

The way we decided to procure was the initiative, the person who led it got a lot of stick for being a front/wife of someone, but she helped make it work assisted by buckets of our cash

I don't remember her getting stick as she at least appeared to be well qualified for the role, unlike many of the other people getting on the gravy train.

unlike many of the other people getting on the gravy train.

She could afford to do it for free. I don't doubt there will be future benefits for her, no different to anyone building a career

As for Ed’s continued drivel,

No need to be rude. It’s interesting to have contributions and observations from outside the UK. Looking at all this from different viewports it will look different.

the only thing that really matters is speed of vaccination.

One of the things, not the only thing.

Another thing being done right (especially in the UK, but also in other countries) is the pre-ordering, funding and practical help to build capacity ready for another wave of vaccines this winter and next year, if/when variants demand it.

A bigger consideration in some other countries is ensuring uptake is high enough. Delivering vaccines that the public refuse to take is pointless.

Worldwide, the cost also really matters. We’ll hear more on this in coming months, I’m sure.

No need to be rude. It’s interesting to have contributions and observations from outside the UK. Looking at all this from different viewports it will look different.

I think simultaneously calling everyone else brainwashed nationalists while being fairly nationalistic yourself is kinda rude, but hey ho...

another view from France , and a very rural part ;

I am 46 and got the Astra jab last week . Supply is slow but people who qualify and who want a jab can have it . But some many people dont want it , Astra or other .

Sadly it is all political .

/\/\ and that is an example of how to contribute a different perspective without excess pre-existing bias permeating through

More of that

We have the option of prohibiting a planned export. That is the message to AstraZeneca: You first fulfill your contract with Europe before you start delivering to other countries.

She’s getting a bit feisty.

I wonder if this is going to end up biting the EU on the bum when the Uk has a surplus of capacity which I guess will happen mid-late summer.
At least the developing world might benefit.