Forum Topic

EU again with vaccine spite

So they have millions of doses of a vaccine they have been telling  their block not to take ( just changed their mind). Yet they block the export of a consignment of these doses to Australia. The question is having tried so hard to discredit the oxford vaccine what do they propose to do with the ones they have blocked?

Andy Pike ● 2077d23 Comments

"what do they propose to do with the ones they have blocked?"BBC:-"What does Italy say?The Italian government approached the European Commission last week to say that it was its intention to block the shipment.In a statement on Thursday, the foreign ministry explained the move, saying it had received the request for authorisation on 24 February.It said that previous requests had been given the green light as they included limited numbers of samples for scientific research, but the latest one - being much larger, for more than 250,000 doses - was rejected.It explained the move by saying that Australia was not on a list of "vulnerable" countries, that there was a permanent shortage of vaccines in the EU and Italy, and that the number of doses was high compared with the amount given to Italy and to the EU as a whole."----------------Italy - Coronavirus death rate is currently 1,639 per million population.Australia - Coronavirus death rate is currently 35 per million population.

David Ainsworth ● 2077d

Brussels is smarting with humiliation after the ridiculous dismissive statements about the AZ vaccine made by Macron and Merkel.  This latest vindictive move by them to try and deprive Australia of the vaccines that they have purchased is totally outrageous and spiteful!  How dare they!?🤬

Sue Hammond ● 2077d

In Italy's situation, we would do exactly the same.The Italian death-rate is 45 times that of Australia.Enough with the PiersMorganry!

David Ainsworth ● 2077d

No we wouldn't do the same David, don't be ridiculous.  You obviously hate the Govt but you cannot be deluded enough to believe they would in effect steal vaccines purchased by another country.  Italy and other EU countries have been let down by their masters in Brussels, thank god we are not part of the EU chaos.

Sue Hammond ● 2077d

"You obviously hate the Govt but you cannot be deluded enough to believe they would in effect steal vaccines purchased by another country."Not only do I believe it, but I would be in favour of it. Do the arithmetic. Italy has had one hundred times as many deaths as Australia.

David Ainsworth ● 2077d

Then you as bad as Brussels.  No integrity.

Sue Hammond ● 2077d

David I would agree with you if the EU had not spent the last 2 months trying to discredit the vaccine hence leaving them with millions of doses they cant shift.

Andy Pike ● 2077d

Macron has claimed the AZ jab is "quasi ineffective". (Not sure how he knows this.) I can't think what the problem is.  Let the Aussies have it.

Elizabeth Balsom ● 2077d

Macron is not the Prime Minister of Italy."Australia’s prime minister, Scott Morrison, played down the impact of Italy’s decision to block the export.“This particular shipment was not one we’d counted on for the rollout, and so we will continue unabated,” he said. “In Italy, people are dying at the rate of 300 a day. And so I can certainly understand the high level of anxiety that would exist in Italy and in many countries across Europe. They are in an unbridled crisis situation. That is not the situation in Australia.”AstraZeneca has production sites in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy. Australia has purchased 53m doses from the company, the first of which are due to be distributed this month. The vaccine has the advantage of being able to be kept in normal refrigerated conditions rather than in freezers.AstraZeneca had made deliveries to Italy last week that were about 10-15% smaller than expected. But the company insisted it would respect its commitment to supply the country with 4.2m doses in the first quarter of the year." (Guardian today) (Other newspapers are available - often for a price).

David Ainsworth ● 2077d

Agreed, but with so many unused doses in France and Germany because of their foolish rhetoric re the AZ jab why didnt they give their surplus to Italy?

Andy Pike ● 2077d

"Agreed, but with so many unused doses in France and Germany because of their foolish rhetoric re the AZ jab why didnt they give their surplus to Italy?"Because they have it and intend to use it, so it is not surplus. Even Macron has repented his silliness. As has Von der Leyen.

David Ainsworth ● 2077d

I bet Soriot wishes he'd never got involved!And I am aware that Macron is not prime minister of Italy.

Elizabeth Balsom ● 2077d

All they have to do now is convince the people its safe.

Andy Pike ● 2077d

"I bet Soriot wishes he'd never got involved!""Pascal Soriot the £90m vaccine hero: That's how much Astrazeneca's boss has earned since he took the helm nine years ago"https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/article-9267119/Astrazeneca-boss-Pascal-Soriot-90m-vaccine-hero.htmlGosh, he must have been through hell.

David Ainsworth ● 2077d

Perhaps one needs to make a distinction between EU decisions or statements and those made in the sovereign states of Germany, France and Italy? Anyway, it doesn't seem to be a problem for Australia.

Michael Ixer ● 2077d

Apparently, populations of some EU countries were rather anti-vaccination already before the current pandemic, so this political/media behaviour will have made the task even harder.

David Ainsworth ● 2077d

"The government last year placed export restrictions on medicines that could be used to treat Covid-19, despite criticising the EU for considering its own controls on vaccines produced on the continent."https://www.theweek.co.uk/951807/uk-quietly-slapped-restrictions-on-covid-medicine-to-euhttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/medicines-that-cannot-be-parallel-exported-from-the-uk

Ed Robinson ● 2077d

And rightly so. The point is the Italians stopped shipment of a vaccine that other EU countries had undermined and therefore had more than they could use. But you knew that.

Andy Pike ● 2077d

"vaccine that other EU countries had undermined"Looking at this BMJ article it seems clear to me that there was insufficient data for the 65+ age group and much of the so called undermining is just poor journalism. Luckily a cure for "a source says" has been available for many years :)https://www.bmj.com/content/372/bmj.n414

Ed Robinson ● 2077d

"Soon after the original story broke, journalists asked why a political story should be free from basic fact and plausibility checking. Gregor Waschinski, Handelsblatt’s political correspondent, tweeted, “I understand that some would like to see the story substantiated with actual data. However, this is not an academic preprint but a sourced piece of political reporting.”"Not academic, just a piece of political reporting! With pretty massive damaging effects.Lethally stupid.

David Ainsworth ● 2077d

The issue seems to have been absence of evidence of efficacy in the over 65s, not evidence of absence of efficacy.  Crucial difference.  They have made a real cock-up of this and the man from Handelsblatt certainly carries his share of blame.

Jonathan Callaway ● 2077d

Along with the EU deaths.  Politics before people.

Robert Wheeler ● 2077d

EU deaths are still well below ours.

Matt Palmer ● 2076d