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It used to be chaotic in your anti-epidemic strategy, but now you can confidently walk out of Covid-19 with an early “bet” on the vaccine.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has faced an unfavorable situation since the Covid-19 outbreak. Today, the UK remains one of the deadliest epidemic regions in the world, ranking fifth globally in terms of nCoV cases. Critics blamed the late government lockdown and chaotic testing and poor traceability process.
However, according to commentator Luke McGee CNNJohnson’s luck seems to have finally come. On February 22, the British prime minister outlined a roadmap that could help the country escape the blockade before the end of June. His confidence stems from the deployment of the Covid-19 vaccine in the UK so far. Very good, with more than 18.5 million injected doses, equivalent to 27/100 people.
The UK’s successful vaccination campaign relies on many factors, notably the fact that Johnson spends a lot of money on the advance purchase of vaccines. Of the 357 million doses that the UK has purchased to date, the largest contract was signed with the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, which owns the vaccine in cooperation with England’s prestigious Oxford University, which is also the school. Old Johnson.
The “bet” on Oxford and AstraZeneca paid off. The UK is also the first country to approve the vaccine for all adults. The pride of Britain’s “homegrown” vaccine is so great that many people in this country now turn their backs on Pfizer-BioNTech’s Covid-19 vaccine, determined to “wait for the British.”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (right) visited an immunization center in Cwmbran, South Wales, on February 17. Picture: AFP.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the English Channel, the situation was quite different. The European Union (EU) authorized the use of vaccines more slowly, even in “war” with AstraZeneca due to late delivery in late January. Now even the major EU countries France and Germany are only achieving a vaccination rate of 6/100.
The termination of the UK’s membership in the EU, irrespective of the alliance in the purchase or licensing of vaccines, has allowed them to negotiate contracts and approve them more quickly. “If you wanted proof of the importance of Brexit, you would have seen it. Assuming we were still in the EU, maybe more people would have died,” said David Davis, a veteran congressman in charge of Brexit.
As the debate intensified, some EU leaders even raised questions about the vaccine’s efficacy. French President Emmanuel Macron once said the AstraZeneca vaccine was “almost ineffective” for the elderly, prompting many scientists to protest.
A day earlier, German officials also refused to authorize vaccination against AstraZeneca for people over the age of 65, citing the lack of complete data on this age group in the manufacturer’s trials. France, Spain, Italy and others followed suit by allowing only vaccines for the youngest age groups.
However, Scottish scientists released new research this week showing that the AstraZeneca vaccine reduced the overall risk of hospitalization by up to 94%, four weeks after a single injection. The elderly also only need one dose to effectively prevent the risk of hospitalization.
Now European regulators are reviewing their restrictions on who can get vaccinated. The French Health Ministry said on April 24 that it was “likely” to extend the guidelines for vaccination age against AstraZeneca after the Scottish study.
However, the vaccine supply crisis has not stopped in Europe. An EU official revealed on February 23 that AstraZeneca had informed the alliance that it could only ship less than half the expected dose in the second quarter.
Furthermore, many fear that the bitter openly bitter battle between the EU and AstraZeneca has diminished confidence in the vaccine, as some European countries appear to be struggling to persuade their citizens to get vaccinated.
In the wake of the upheaval, German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s spokesperson made an unusual move earlier this week, announcing on Twitter that “the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe and highly effective,” following reports that Germans refuse to use it. .
“This is extremely concerning. Any question about the vaccine means the possibility of a complete review of the vaccination strategy. In the midst of a pandemic, you should always strive to keep your level of confidence high in the public,” said Cathryn Cluver Ashbrook, Project Director for Europe and Transatlantic Relations at Harvard Kennedy School, United States.
Despite admitting mistakes in the implementation of vaccines, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, still assesses that Britain is carrying out vaccination irresponsibly despite the rapid pace. “It is true that the EU has been slower, but it was the right decision. Let me repeat that vaccination is the introduction of a biological active substance into a healthy body. Mass vaccination is a great responsibility,” Von der Leyen said previously. this month.
However, this week, he again expressed his support for the AstraZeneca vaccine, saying the injection would be given “without further thought.”
Johnson, meanwhile, remained silent from start to finish, appearing to be enjoying a public victory over the EU, amid a host of other problems in the UK, typically trade disruptions as a result of Brexit.
“The EU tends to be sensible internationally, so criticizing the UK and Oxford University vaccines makes them seem out of control. This is a big mistake. The only explanation I have is that they might think they were in panic, after the deployment of the vaccine in the EU did not go as expected, “said a European diplomat in Brussels.
According to Rob Ford, professor of politics at the University of Manchester, UK, cultural differences in administration are being exposed. “The EU is obsessed with rules, it is not flexible and struggles to adapt to developments in real time. This time the UK has done better,” he said.
“The British government ruined the situation for much of the pandemic. But if the lockdown ends earlier than in the rest of Europe, maybe the public will remember that, a success story. England,” Ford said.
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