Bob's Board: Coronavirus Thread - Bob's Board

Completely disagree that Brexit played no part in us getting a head start mate.
For a start us leaving the EU allowed our own MHRA to approve both the Pfizer and AZ vaccines well before the EMA, who still haven't approved the the AZ jab, therefore taking delivery and injecting people well in advance of them.
Also we are now on the verge of appproving a fourth vaccine and have already agreed to purchase 60million doses, whilst the EU are only eyeing a deal with Novivax. Something we wouldn't have been allowed to do were we still part of the bloc.
Hungary are only breaking ranks now and pulling away from the European agreement because of the complete disaster the EUs sourcing and distribution of vaccines has become.
We refused to join the agreement because we were leaving , thus leaving us to source vaccines on our own whilst the rest of the bloc thought their agreement would bear fruit. The EU even threatened to sue Germany at the end of last year when it threatened to buy vaccines alone because it was frustrated at the EUs lack of progress. I would imagine now the whole EU buying partnership could crumble partly because individual countries are desperate and the EU themselves will realise this is simply too big a strategic, administrative and purchasing issue to do it from Brussels alone.

The member is Hungary and Mr Orban - nigh on a rogue state and leader - bet the EU regret inviting them to the club

However, it does seem that member countries can escape the EU when it comes to controlling their borders and interpreting EMA advice.

Have you had your 1st jab yet.

I can only repeat the facts, my friend.

Our very own head of the MHRA said, quite clearly, Brexit played no part in her decision .

We were still EU members when sourcing, licensing and administering jabs.

We simply don't know if the UK government's decision to snub collective purchases was inspired or political dogma.

Hungary have, apparently, decided to secure their own supplies.

It's beyond hypocrisy to now compare our Covid response to fellow Europeans - or even countries further a-field - after months denying such parallels.

I'll say it again; whether or not it was due to desperation or foresight - though their performance over the rest of the pandemic offers a clue - our government placing most it's eggs in the vaccine basket seems to've paid off. And I don't blame Brexit supporters faced with the Mad Max style desolation of a post membership world trumpeting faiings over the Channel.

However there's a much bigger picture here and I take no pleasure from the suffering of folk bearing a different colour passport...

I don't think it does mean they legally can escape the EMA advice, hence the EUs threat to sue Germany when they threatened to buy vaccine themselves late last year. How the EU react to this in times of desperation from member states and the utter fiasco their buying plan has been will see how desperate they are themselves to progress there vaccine strategy. All the member states were quite happy to abide by the rules when they thought "mother" would look after them but now, to avert their own disasters, are looking to break ranks!

Don't know anything about that, did a quick search but could only find something about banking from May.

Anyway, it was reported almost three weeks ago that Germany has bought an extra 30M doses from Pfizer, so it clearly doesn't matter what Mother thinks

It was reported in a German paper. It was in an article link posted in post #7796
And of course they're all scrambling to buy jabs now but that's nothing to do with the EUs lax attitude to what other countries do rather then utter desperation the bloc finds itself in due to their buying fiasco.

Europe is running desperately short of Covid vaccines meaning its roll-out is now falling badly behind the UK - a shambles that one German newspaper this week described as 'the perfect advert for Brexit', causing deep embarrassment among EU ministers.

The vaccine programme also hit another stumbling block on Friday as it emerged the EU has not yet secured a contract for British-made Novavax vaccines, which passed phase III trials yesterday with a 90% success rate.

Ministers only completed 'exploratory' talks to buy Novavax in December last year while the UK put pen to paper on a contract to buy 60million doses back in August, more than five months ago.

christ i can't follow all this i give up

The European reporter on SN is now quoting from page 11 of the contract and himself says.."there's plenty of meat on the bones here to support both sides"..

Europe is running desperately short of Covid vaccines meaning its roll-out is now falling badly behind the UK - a shambles that one German newspaper this week described as 'the perfect advert for Brexit', causing deep embarrassment among EU ministers.

The vaccine programme also hit another stumbling block on Friday as it emerged the EU has not yet secured a contract for British-made Novavax vaccines, which passed phase III trials yesterday with a 90% success rate.

Ministers only completed 'exploratory' talks to buy Novavax in December last year while the UK put pen to paper on a contract to buy 60million doses back in August, more than five months ago.

Don't know anything about that, did a quick search but could only find something about banking from May.

Anyway, it was reported almost three weeks ago that Germany has bought an extra 30M doses from Pfizer, so it clearly doesn't matter what Mother thinks

J&J vaccine 66% efficacy - slightly disappointing?

Not as good as Pfizer or Moderna but better that AstaZenica

85% effective at preventing the more serious symptoms. Also it's a single jab as well which is a big boost.

Only 57% effective in SA but that seems to be common thread in most vaccines

UK 30M doses, EU 400M - seems the EU has won another one to add to the Moderna vaccine

Perhaps a bit of cooperation would be wise