clapham_gull
Legacy Fan
- Aug 20, 2003
- 25,876
No, it's ****ing tragic. The politicians on all sides need their heads smashed together and look at the scientists from all over the world who have shared research.
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EU and AstraZeneca
- Thread starter Neville's Breakfast
- Start date
No, it's ****ing tragic. The politicians on all sides need their heads smashed together and look at the scientists from all over the world who have shared research.
clapham_gull
Legacy Fan
- Aug 20, 2003
- 25,876
You've got time on your hands mate.
So am I, but trying not to send this thread to the bear pit by gloating about it.
- Apr 5, 2014
- 25,901
I could imagine that Micheál Martin might have put down his pint of Guinness and got on the blower.
The WHO waded in too.
As far as vaccinations is concerned, isn't that exactly what we (or at least the government) in the UK have done?
clapham_gull
Legacy Fan
- Aug 20, 2003
- 25,876
Bit of a mute point if you look at our system.
Stockholm Syndrome
Member
- Jan 5, 2011
- 37
Ouch, got to hurt. Media in Sweden reporting that Russia want to give the EU 100 million doses of their sputnik vaxine...
nicko31
Well-known member
Must admit the performance of the EU today has been a bit like the UK government most days for the past 4 years.
Move on....
Pretty pink fairy
Banned
- Jan 30, 2008
- 31,981
- Apr 5, 2014
- 25,901
There's a few remainers, including myself, thinking 'You know what...' right now.
But then, I never voted to remain because I liked the institution, it was more least worst option. I still believe in it, but not its structure and delivery. Still, at least they got Sinn Fein and DUP to agree on something.
A really good read by someone who also believes in the EU ideal- but not its structure:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Adults-Roo...V4-EzqevvAKVm2wggy1YkaRrTq1FmgkFERpdYYOLfzcqc
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Okey doke, whatever. I thought we (collectively, but not you, obviously) voted for this government. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Blue Valkyrie
Not seen such Bravery!
Biden loves the Irish and they weren't happy !
beorhthelm
A. Virgo, Football Genius
- Jul 21, 2003
- 36,014
if it werent so politically charged, they should take the offer. easy to be sceptical about Russian claims but no real reason to doubt they are capable of producing a viable vaccine. the underlying tech used in Sputnik is same as Astrazeneca and the Janssen one approved today.
pastafarian
Well-known member
Wondering if Sami Hyypia was put in charge of Commission Policy the last few days.
Lets hope calm heads prevail and people can focus efforts on what is important, getting the vaccine out to the people of Europe.
Its been a bit shambolic so far but im hoping the EU put their game face on and have more success.
Yes, he's in an awkward position. As a supporter of the Irish, he doesn't like the British. But he also likes the EU and doesn't like Brexit.
He's got quite a problem sorting all that out!
clapham_gull
Legacy Fan
- Aug 20, 2003
- 25,876
Not sure what your point is. In terms of research, it's a worldwide effort and money and assistance (with things like trials) have been flowing all over the place. When people start talking about "UK" vaccines or "USA" vaccines, it undermines the cooperation.
After being reactive to a number of things our Government rolled a dice on the vaccine(s) and got stuff going in parallel with research. Huge risk, mostly financial, but paid off. Well done, they had to get something right.
Then they start talking about it being about Brexit (it technically wasn't) and a few in the EU lose the plot over a local supply issue and start trying to punish the UK
If the EU was smashing ahead and we were left behind, I'm sure a few in this Government would be losing the plot over the EU.
It all has to stop because it misses the point.
Blue Valkyrie
Not seen such Bravery!
Is that similar to Novavax or Novichok ?
Guess they'll find out ....................... we'll just stick to what we've bought, eh? Sounds good to me.
P.S. No, I don't hope the Russians don't kill thousands of European citizens..
Lindfield by the Pond
Well-known member
The UK government persuaded the Oxford team to work with AZ back at the start of the pandemic. AZ were going to go in with Merck (Who bailed out of their program this week) but were persuaded to switch with funding and they developed the current vaccine as one that was essentially developed in the UK.
Part of the deal was UK government investment in AZ covid reasearch. As a country, our scientific expertise in this field - sequencing the virus etc is second to none. Early sign up enabled the UK manufacturing sites scale up to trouble shoot issues early and resolve them. The UK supply of AZ vaccine had pretty much the same difficulties as the Belgium sites have now, except the UK ones are now over them and working at max capacity. The EU sites are now hitting the same scale up issues, and have to go through the same learning curve. Hence the delay to EU AZ vaccine access.
Aside of the fact that the EU have still not approved (until today) the AZ vaccine, they complain about their restricted access to something they have not approved the use of, and then the main player Germany says it should not be used in the most vulnerable over 65's!!
As a company, AZ find themselves developing a vaccine that they supply at cost price - no profit. Their people have been working on this stuff for months, night and day, 24/7, and have found a vaccine at record pace and delivered it to the world. As a company, they do not deserve the heavy handiness of EU authorities raiding their Belgium sites to check AZ position.
As for UK fast approval, last year within the Transition period, Mutual Recognition agreement still held. For many years the MHRA was seen as the leading Medicines Licensing Authority in the world. The MHRA has consistently approved medicines on behalf of Europe for many years. The EU could have continued with this and approved the AZ vaccine on the back of the MHRA approval 4 weeks ago. They chose not to.
The MHRA approved quickly, as under new UK emergency legislation, data from trials was delivered to the MHRA in almost real time, and was being assessed very quickly. In the EU, all data was delivered to them at the end of all the data collection - months later. Thats why the UK approved sooner. We were the leading Medicines regulator in the EU and under Mutual Recognition, approved nearly 50% of Europe's medicines until Brexit. It was why the European Medicines Authority (EMA) was based in London until Brexit.
And now, the EU are shutting the border in NI to prevent any EU produced vaccine getting into the UK!!! You couldn't make it up.
Legally, the EU have not got a leg to stand on.
Morally we would live with some friendly conversation and do a deal and give them some vaccine.
Part of the deal was UK government investment in AZ covid reasearch. As a country, our scientific expertise in this field - sequencing the virus etc is second to none. Early sign up enabled the UK manufacturing sites scale up to trouble shoot issues early and resolve them. The UK supply of AZ vaccine had pretty much the same difficulties as the Belgium sites have now, except the UK ones are now over them and working at max capacity. The EU sites are now hitting the same scale up issues, and have to go through the same learning curve. Hence the delay to EU AZ vaccine access.
Aside of the fact that the EU have still not approved (until today) the AZ vaccine, they complain about their restricted access to something they have not approved the use of, and then the main player Germany says it should not be used in the most vulnerable over 65's!!
As a company, AZ find themselves developing a vaccine that they supply at cost price - no profit. Their people have been working on this stuff for months, night and day, 24/7, and have found a vaccine at record pace and delivered it to the world. As a company, they do not deserve the heavy handiness of EU authorities raiding their Belgium sites to check AZ position.
As for UK fast approval, last year within the Transition period, Mutual Recognition agreement still held. For many years the MHRA was seen as the leading Medicines Licensing Authority in the world. The MHRA has consistently approved medicines on behalf of Europe for many years. The EU could have continued with this and approved the AZ vaccine on the back of the MHRA approval 4 weeks ago. They chose not to.
The MHRA approved quickly, as under new UK emergency legislation, data from trials was delivered to the MHRA in almost real time, and was being assessed very quickly. In the EU, all data was delivered to them at the end of all the data collection - months later. Thats why the UK approved sooner. We were the leading Medicines regulator in the EU and under Mutual Recognition, approved nearly 50% of Europe's medicines until Brexit. It was why the European Medicines Authority (EMA) was based in London until Brexit.
And now, the EU are shutting the border in NI to prevent any EU produced vaccine getting into the UK!!! You couldn't make it up.
Legally, the EU have not got a leg to stand on.
Morally we would live with some friendly conversation and do a deal and give them some vaccine.
- Nov 11, 2009
- 12,269
Totally agree.
They cannot act decisively or quickly, pretty much ever, with 27 competing interests. The commission is unelected, often rejected politicians making the calls.
They make the rules up as they go along:
we cant break the 4 pillars of the EU they say (unless it suits us), We cannot have a hard border in Ireland, until we dither in procurement and balls up our vaccine roll out.
Yesterday, they could "not accept first come first serve or vaccine nationalism" until today when they enact an export ban to make them first come first serve and vaccine nationalists.
Its rotten, cumbersome, protectionist and rule breaking.
The only way it will ever work properly is when they finally achieve their "ever closer union" goals and become a one nation superstate, replacing nation states, one president, one army, one currency, one government...... that day will come (not for me thanks very much) but until then, its just a bungling mess.
you dont need the unelected EU commission to assume sovereignty and dictate laws to have freedom of movement, goods or services...... nation states could do it without the EU, whilst serving their individual electorates.
Von Der Leyen is totally incompetent, and has ballsed up big time, who voted for her?