Current Affairs Coronavirus Thread - Serious stuff !!!

[Neiler]

Europe charts course for summer travel

The European Union has announced a plan to set up a travel certificate to help restore freedom of movement within the bloc for citizens inoculated against the coronavirus.

www.rte.ie

 

[Chris O'Connor]

The general point is I don't care as outlined. As in what other wealthy countries decide what vaccine to pursue, data or not. Let them got on with it its their sovereign business.

There are other countries not fortunate as us or them who will happily have the AZ vaccine. If this pause leaves over supply in system, make sure COVAX program gets them, Then shout loud and proud.

Rather engaging in finger wagging negativity, which is like telling one of the most obese countries in world (UK) that all the data in world says its a bad thing, really!

I find this hard to credit as there may be some salient points worth noting.

Britain hasn't paused it's vaccination program the take up of both offered vaccinations (AZ and Pfizer) is very high indeed

Britain isn't storing masses of unused vaccines but using them as quickly as supply and logistics currently allow.

If supply chains are made more efficient and outlets for vaccination increased then the plan is to increase the rate of vaccinations too.

We are using our supply at the moment as quickly as current circumstances allow and half the adult population will soon have received a first vaccination.

I wonder where all these unused vaccines you refer to actually are?

In a lot of European countries there is currently storage of AZ vaccines, even taking into account their supply issues, because the take-up rate has been below 50% in some cases.

The current pause on AZ vaccinations will inevitably increase the stocks of the vaccine in storage and further reputational damage, caused by the pause, likely increase them too

I would qualify any alarms over storage as the shelf life of the vaccine is relatively long lasting and shouldn't be out of date before useage (around 6 months).

But given all this where exactly do you think the extra vaccines for COVAX program should come from? option A or B ?

Option A ) where there aren't lots of spare capacity of unused AZ vaccines - (Britain)

OR

Option B ) where there are increasing stocks due to poor take up rates and unwanted stocks (several European countries)

As your previous post said the time for finger wagging is over supply them from where the unused stocks exist.

 

[Tubey]

Whether you're pro or anti Brexit, and I'm certainly anti, there surely has to be a recognition that the EU has been a disgrace across the board with the vaccines.

Getting a lot of "I told you so" from Brexiteers about it and can't defend the EU in the slightest.

 

[arminisgod]

more threats from the EU

 

[sbbefc]

Whether you're pro or anti Brexit, and I'm certainly anti, there surely has to be a recognition that the EU has been a disgrace across the board with the vaccines.

Getting a lot of "I told you so" from Brexiteers about it and can't defend the EU in the slightest.

I think most remainders have always recognised some of the EUs faults. This crisis has exposed them further. But it was always the case that even with these faults we are better staying in. It's a hard ask to win people over when this is your argument. Hence Corbyn coming across as a fence sitter and the failure of the whole movement to pull on people's emotions.

 

[grandjoeblue]

Whether you're pro or anti Brexit, and I'm certainly anti, there surely has to be a recognition that the EU has been a disgrace across the board with the vaccines.

Getting a lot of "I told you so" from Brexiteers about it and can't defend the EU in the slightest.

more threats from the EU

Really is starting to look bad for the EU. Heres just a thought but maybe they should stop playing politics and try to actually use the millions of unused doses that they currently have.

 

[spectateur]

Whether you're pro or anti Brexit, and I'm certainly anti, there surely has to be a recognition that the EU has been a disgrace across the board with the vaccines.

Getting a lot of "I told you so" from Brexiteers about it and can't defend the EU in the slightest.

Their procurement procedure was a disaster.
The objectives in trying to make sure that the smaller poorer nations were not disadvantaged was good.
Its implementation, well, oh dear.

 

[Prevenger17]

Whether you're pro or anti Brexit, and I'm certainly anti, there surely has to be a recognition that the EU has been a disgrace across the board with the vaccines.

Getting a lot of "I told you so" from Brexiteers about it and can't defend the EU in the slightest.

Oh aye, they made an absolute mess of it. Still rather be in than out

 

[Chris O'Connor]

Even our GP's and vaccination centres are having to waste time assuaging people's fears who may see the unfounded hysteria across the channel and naturally think there must be something in it.

(why anyone would believe a single word spoken by Macron, beats me)

I would qualify the statement by saying the blood clots caused by Covid tend to happen only with the hospitalised and only in very serious and badly affected cases, it isn't a normal symptom of the virus.

 

[Tubey]

Oh aye, they made an absolute mess of it. Still rather be in than out

Von der Leyen should be sacked. She's been a disaster.

 

[Tubey]

Even our GP's and vaccination centres are having to waste time assuaging people's fears who see the unfounded hysteria across the channel and naturally think there must be something in it.

I would qualify the statement by saying the blood clots caused by Covid tend to happen only with the hospitalised and only in seriously badly affected cases, it isn't a normal symptom of the virus.

View attachment 121537

Blood clotting through serious COVID is expected due to the cytokine storm response boosting rapid inflammation.

So yeah not a normal symptom in a general infection, but is one of the myriad of symptoms that makes this thing so devastating if you get hit hard by it.

 

[Neiler]

Flagged this last week, this was always going to happen, not surprised in the least. You cant have exports going one way and not the other. The EU was always going to ban exports reciprocally as the UK and USA have done officially or unofficially.

Terrible it has come to this and hopefully all saber rattling and a partnership can be found.

 

[Chris O'Connor]

Von der Leyen should be sacked. She's been a disaster.

She's in effect just bringing up the AZ contract business all over again but by another route. She had a terrible reputation in Germany and was foisted on the EU to get her out of the way. The EU presidency candidates aren't usually the most able tbf. Junker was very much a compromise candidate put in there to try and not offend anyone too much.

The UK has imported Pfizer vaccines as it's not made here. The EU has AZ factories within its legislation and would hardly import Pfizer vaccines given where they're made. It's carrying on the political posturing the EU has been resorting to for some time. This is a pandemic and needs them to grow up.

The answer is to get supply working properly from the Belgian AZ factories, not that they'd even be used now, it already has low take up and the further reputational damage could be disastrous.

 

[Jebus_lives]

I think most remainders have always recognised some of the EUs faults. This crisis has exposed them further. But it was always the case that even with these faults we are better staying in. It's a hard ask to win people over when this is your argument. Hence Corbyn coming across as a fence sitter and the failure of the whole movement to pull on people's emotions.

Worth saying that the EMA have not made this decision, but individual Governments.

 

[Neiler]

EU hints it could block vaccine exports to UK

Major developments from the European Commission now, as president Ursula von der Leyen hints very strongly that the EU could block vaccine exports to the UK.

Here are the relevant comments:

"Open roads run in both directions and this is why we need to ensure that there is reciprocity and proportionality

"I want to be clear on reciprocity. If the situation does not change, we will have to reflect on how to make exports to vaccine-producing countries dependent on their level of openness.

"We are exporting a lot to countries that are themselves producing vaccines and we think this is an invitation to be open, so we also see exports from them coming back to the European Union.

"The second point that is of importance for us, we will reflect on whether exports to countries who have higher vaccination rates than us are still proportionate."

She adds that the EU is "ready to use whatever tool we need to deliver on that".

"This about making sure Europe gets its fair share," she warns.

More on this as we get it...

Von der Leyen comments directly on UK

"Where the UK's concerned, indeed we have observed that in the last six weeks 10 million doses by now have been exported to the UK," the European Commission president continues.

"It is country number one where exports from the European Union is concerned and indeed, the United Kingdom is producing AstraZeneca."

She says that the AstraZeneca contract refers to two production sites in the UK "for deliveries to the EU".

"We are still waiting for doses to come from the UK, so this is an invitation to show us that there are also doses from the UK coming to the European Union," she adds.

These remarks now making it very clear who the previous threats were being directed at.