UK vaccine supply “assured”

A vaccine trade war is brewing.

But the Cabinet Office minister, Michael Gove, has insisted that the UK’s vaccine supplies won’t be disrupted by the EU/AstraZeneca row.

“We have absolute assurance that the supplies that we have in the pipeline continue to be delivered in a way which makes sure that the programme stays precisely on track,” he said.

Production problems have meant that AZ is limiting vaccine supply to the bloc. The EU has urged AZ to make up the shortfall by diverting doses from UK plants.

EU/AZ relations have gone from bad to worse after the firm’s Belgian plant was raided by Commission inspectors who took away records and samples. The investigation was prompted, EU sources say, by “deep suspicion” about what’s happened to the 75 million shortfall in contracted doses. The EU claims that AZ’s story about the nature of the problems has changed a number of times.

It all boils down to the wording of the contract, which hasn’t yet been made public. The EU claims the agreement stipulates that UK factories are the primary sites to supply the EU and the two European factories are “secondary”. AZ says this isn’t the case and that the UK has first access to doses manufactured in Oxford and Staffordshire.

The UK’s vaccine rollout is still running smoothly with 7.4 million people having now received a first vaccine dose – 11 per cent of the population. Covid-19 hospital admissions in the UK are now falling, with 2,648 patients admitted this week, down 29 per cent from last week.

Europe in trouble

The EU’s belligerence is a reflection of the grim situation on the continent. Paris and two other French regions have announced suspensions to their first dose vaccination programmes. Portugal is slowing down its rollout. And Madrid’s authorities have stopped vaccinating new people and are using remaining stockpiles to administer second doses.

In a move that’s being seen as excessively cautious, Germany’s vaccine committee has recommended that the AZ vaccine should only be used on those under 65 because of “insufficient data to establish the effectiveness in older groups”. AZ has been open about the fact that there isn’t a huge pool of data in the over-65 bracket from which to draw, making a definitive efficacy estimate tricky.

British experts are confident in the vaccine’s efficacy, however. Dr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisations at Public Health England, said: “Both the AstraZeneca and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are safe and provide high levels of protection against Covid-19, particularly against severe disease.

“There were too few cases in older people in the AstraZeneca trials to observe precise levels of protection in this group, but data on immune responses were very reassuring.”

In France, a third national lockdown looks likely and the mood is souring. The French vaccine rollout is proceeding achingly slowly and is beset by delays, supply issues and unanswered phones at vaccination centres.

Speaking today, French Health Minister Olivier Véran said the current curfew measures were insufficient and stricter restrictions would be needed. But authorities are nervous about what the public response might be in the wake of lockdown riots in the Netherlands.

As anger bubbles, a poll this week shows Macron barely beating Marine Le Pen in a presidential vote – 52 per cent to 48 per cent. See Walter Ellis below.

Boris tries to woo Scots

Boris Johnson took a day trip to Scotland today to the Lighthouse Lab, a Covid testing hub in a Glasgow hospital, to highlight the success of the UK vaccination rollout.

The Prime Minister’s visit to Scotland is part of an attempted charm offensive to woo back would-be nationalists as opinion polls indicate support for independence, or the Union and independence neck and neck mid-pandemic. The PM said that the issue amounted to “pointless constitutional wrangling.”

Nicola Sturgeon labelled the trip “non-essential”, in light of current lockdown policy. When asked how she felt about the PM’s visit, Sturgeon replied, “not ecstatic.”

Sturgeon may be huffing but Johnson’s probably not too “ecstatic” about the First Minister’s latest move. Sturgeon has announced she will republish vaccine supply figures next week – despite the PM warning her the information must be confidential. As a possible vaccine war looms, Sturgeon’s timing looks deeply cynical. Tory MPs have voiced fury, viewing the move as an attempt to cosy up to the EU.

Sturgeon’s antics on the vaccine, if they get sufficient attention in Scotland, may do more to help the Unionist cause than anything Boris did on his grand day out.
 

Mattie Brignal,
News Editor