Covid Vaccine Supply Fears Grow Amid EU Threats To Ban Exports

Europe's vaccine roll-out was already among the slowest in the world, but has been hit by further problems as France's Pasteur Institute mothballed its jab on Monday and AstraZeneca cut supplies to the bloc by 60 per cent due to 'supply issues' 

Daily Mail: The EU vows to force firms to declare what vaccines are being exported to the UK as Ursula von der Leyen says she 'means business' about getting bloc's 'fair share' - despite warnings a blockade to help shambolic rollout could 'poison' relations 

 * EU health chiefs have demanded pharmaceutical firms give 'early warning' when exporting vaccines to Britain 

 * It means Pfizer - which has a jab-making plant in Belgium - will be forced to tell EU officials about jab exports 

 * Britain has ordered 40million doses of Pfizer jab, which is described as 'workhorse' of the UK vaccine rollout 

 * Vaccine battle took another twist last night when German papers reported EU officials could reject UK jab 

 * The reports say EMA could reject the Oxford vaccine for usage in over-65s due to '8 per cent efficacy rates' 

 * But vaccine manufacturer AstraZeneca last night furiously denied claims, reported in Bild and Handelsblatt 

 * German health ministry issued a flat denial of the briefing in bid to quell anger from UK ministers and MPs 

 * It comes after AstraZeneca announced it could only supply 31million of 80million doses to EU by end of March 

Ursula von der Leyen today vowed to make firms declare what vaccines they are exporting to the UK as she scrambled to contain a backlash at the EU's shambolic rollout. 

The commission president said a 'transparency mechanism' is being introduced as she insisted that the bloc 'means business' about getting its fair share of supplies. 

The sabre-rattling from Brussels, which comes amid growing chaos and protests across the continent, has incensed senior MPs, with warnings that the EU could 'poison' relations for a generation if it blocks some of the 40million Pfizer doses the UK has bought 'legally and fairly'. 

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WNU Editor: There are a lot of good graphs in the above Daily Mail post on vaccinations. The EU position is that since they have spent billions in the development of these vaccines, they should be in the front of the line. For countries like Canada that did not invest money in the development of these vaccines, there are now a lot of worried people. 

Update: This is what will happen to the UK if the EU bans the export of vaccines .... What would happen if the EU forced Pfizer to stop delivering Covid vaccines? UK could miss out on 3.5m doses between now and February and rely totally on AstraZeneca's plan to supply 2m every 7 days from this week (Daily Mail). 

Update #2: Germany has now stepped in advocating a ban on vaccine exports .... Germany backs EU export restrictions on vaccine after supply cuts (Reuters). 

Update #3: The cost of vaccine nationalism will be major .... Vaccine nationalism could cost global economy $9 trillion, ICC report says (France 24). 

 More News On Covid Vaccine Supply Fears Growing Amid EU Threats To Ban Exports

Coronavirus: Vaccine supply fears grow amid EU export threat -- BBC 

EU means business over Covid vaccine exports, says Von der Leyen -- The Guardian 

Drug firms ‘must deliver’ on Covid-19 vaccine obligations, EU chief says -- France 24

E.U. threatens to restrict exports of Covid vaccines amid rollout anger -- NBC 

EU urges vaccine makers to ‘honour obligations’ amid supply fears -- Al Jazeera 

Coronavirus: Europe looks for a way out of vaccine fiasco -- DW

from War News Updates https://ift.tt/3iR8do4