All against all in the vaccine battle

In Amsterdam, the European Medicines Agency EMA will decide on Friday whether Astra Zeneca’s covid-19 vaccine can be approved for use in the EU.

In that case, await a rapid distribution of millions of doses to the 27 countries of the EU. However, it is not yet known exactly how many.

80 million had been promised since the beginning during the first quarter of 2021. Suddenly, it dropped to 31 million in new announcements last week, which may change again.

– We may not end in 80, but in any case significantly more than 31, according to sources in Brussels explain to the German newspaper FAZ after the meeting held on Wednesday night between representatives of the EU and Pascal Soriot, CEO of Astra Zeneca.

Open contract?

According to FAZ, Soriot must have opened to publish at least parts of the company’s contract with the EU on Friday.

So far only one vaccine maker, German Curevac, has agreed to something similar, and only in a reading room open to MEPs and largely eliminated, for competitive reasons.

Possibly, outspokenness can help defuse the fierce battle that has erupted over the Astra Zeneca vaccine.

The EU was initially bothered by the company’s message that it could not deliver everything promised. And even more so when the CEO stated that the UK-produced vaccine cannot be shipped to the EU until the British get theirs.

“Selfish UE”

However, the European Commission angrily asserts that the contract does not mention that certain factories will only serve certain countries, or in any particular order.

However, shipping vaccines from British factories to the EU is not very popular in the UK.

“The EU itself wants our vaccines,” shouts the Daily Express on its front page.

The British government emphasizes that, first and foremost, it wants to ensure that its own vaccine program is managed correctly.

– Deliveries that we have planned and paid for will continue. There will be absolutely no interruption to that, Deputy Prime Minister Michael Gove tells the BBC.

Promote calm

Gove still leaves the door ajar for possible deliveries across the English Channel.

“The right thing to do with our friends in Europe is to make sure that we can promote a cooperative dialogue and see how we can do everything we can to help,” Gove told Reuters.

The World Health Organization (WHO) also calls for calm and the need for authorities and manufacturers to work together.

– We are convinced that the delays we see now will be offset by additional production in the future, Hans Kluge, WHO European director, tells Reuters.

Criticism of the EU

The European Commission has set a tough tone towards Astra Zeneca and has already started to develop a system to be able to preview all future Union vaccine exports.

But it also receives internal criticism.

“The EU acted late and signed contracts later, which is now a problem,” the Spanish newspaper El País wrote according to Reuters.

– A total disaster! In school grades, it would be IG, infuriates German consultant Gerd Kerkhoff in the Bild newspaper about how commission base Ursula von der Leyen handled recruitment.

Victor Nummelin / TT