Britain’s vaccine rollout could be delayed by two months if EU members states decide to ban exports of the jab later this week. The Sun has the story.
Britain’s Covid vaccine rollout faces a two-month delay if EU members states go ahead with a jab export ban.
The ban, set to be debated next Thursday, would derail the UK Government’s roadmap to reopen the economy.
And according to analytics firm Airfinity, the move would not provide a significant boost to beleaguered vaccine rollouts in the European Union.
Research shows that the number of doses kept within the bloc would speed up European Union vaccinations by “just over a week”.
Yet, an export ban of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine made in Belgium and Germany would delay every British adult receiving a first jab until August 5th, reports the Guardian.
And a further ban to all jab exports, including those from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson, would delay the rollout target even further to August 27th, the report says.
The British Government, as well as Pfizer and its partner BioNTech, has urged the EU not to go ahead with this export ban, warning of the consequences on the world’s vaccine rollout efforts.
Britain has received around 10 million vaccine doses from plants in the EU since the rollout started in December.
Reports say that Number 10 is expecting around 60 million more in the coming months.
Today, the UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace warned Brussels that the “world is watching” ahead of their decision next week. …
Meanwhile, Pfizer has urged the EU to back down on its threats to block vaccine exports to the UK as essential ingredients are made in Yorkshire.
The drug giant warned that production could “grind to a halt” if Britain retaliates, sparking further jab chaos on the continent.
Yorkshire-based firm Croda International has been delivering “fatty molecules” to Pfizer’s EU factories since signing a five-year contract in November.
Pfizer, and its partner BioNTech, have told the EU that Britain can strike back against any export ban by withholding vital materials, reports The Telegraph.
But the EU yesterday doubled down on its threat to block millions of vaccine doses to the UK.
While those most vulnerable to Covid have already been vaccinated in the UK, this delay would no doubt lead the Government into extending its “roadmap” out of lockdown. Meanwhile other countries, which are far behind the UK in their vaccine rollouts, are unlocking already.
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