AstraZeneca EU debate: Britain wonders

The British are currently confused in the AstraZeneca debate in Europe. Not only Prime Minister Johnson, but also scientists believe the concerns in the EU are overblown. Brexit supporters feel empowered.

No one in the UK is thinking of giving up the AstraZeneca vaccine. On the contrary: the product, which was developed in part in England, remains a central pillar of the successful British vaccination campaign.

The irritation in the UK was further increased by the fact that many EU countries no longer use the vaccine at the moment. A member of the House of Commons asked Boris Johnson what he thought of him. The prime minister’s response was clear: The best he could say is that he too finally has his vaccination appointment, Johnson explains. The Prime Minister trusts AstraZeneca.

Many well-known scientists rub their eyes in amazement, not understanding why, among others, Germany no longer wants to use AstraZeneca for the moment. One of them is Jeremy Brown, professor of medicine and co-developer of the UK vaccination campaign. Germans’ concern about thrombosis is overblown, he thinks. There is no proven connection between the vaccine and the occasional stroke that is cited as a reason for a preventive stop. In addition, this decision has serious consequences: stopping the use of AstraZeneca is likely to lead to more illness and death, it predicts.

“They do not understand what is happening in Germany”

German scientist Beate Kampmann agrees with this judgment. She directs the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and is a recognized expert in vaccination. For days he has had to explain to his British colleagues what is happening in his country of origin: “They tell me they do not understand what is happening in Germany. They are usually very well organized.”

In an interview with the ARD she expresses concern. While the incidence is declining in the UK, the situation in Germany could soon get considerably worse, he fears. “In Italy we have the third wave, the intensive care units are already full again,” he says. “It is foreseeable that this could spread again in Germany. I just don’t understand why they are so far behind the evidence.”

Brexit supporters feel empowered

The European vaccination chaos strengthens those in Britain who are happy that their country has left the EU. Conservative MP Anthony Brown suspects that European decision makers are driven by politics, not science. This behavior will cost lives in the EU, Brown said.

More than 25 million doses of vaccine have been injected in the UK, and soon half of all adults will be vaccinated at least once. Unlike in Germany, the return to normalcy in the UK appears to be only a matter of weeks.