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Government's 'Take Back Control' Paranoia Puts UK Out In The Cold In Search
For Covid-19 Vaccine

With just 18 days to go before the opportunity for the UK to extend the EU Transition period is past, Boris Johnson has made it clear that the UK will NOT play any part in the EU's planned scheme of ensuring that EU member states have sufficient numbers of vaccines for all it's member states.

The scheme which will be funded from the EU's 'emergency fund' known as the Emergency Support Instrument will ensure financial support for EU manufacturers and researchers into Covid-19 vaccine. It will also guarantee no lack of supplies of the subsequent vaccine and make those countries non-dependant upon US based companies for supply.

As previously reported, Donald Trump intends that any vaccine made by US pharmaceutical companies will be for sole supply to the USA!

The UK could well be dependent upon the USA for supplies of any Covid-19 vaccine they manufacture, and as such puts this country's NHS into the hands of the bargaining chip of American Healthcare companies who want to have full access to it, and indeed transfer the NHS to an insurance based model.

It also means that the cost to the UK of any vaccine supplied by the the USA, will be far more costly than it would be had the UK remained in the EU Transition period until after a vaccine had been developed.

The Financial Times reported today that:

Brussels plans to pump billions of euros into advance purchase deals with pharmaceutical companies for potential coronavirus vaccines, in a sign of intensifying rich country efforts to secure supplies of any future treatment. The EU proposes using a “large majority” of a €2.7bn emergency fund for the effort but is also committed to ensuring fair access worldwide to pandemic remedies, according to a draft European Commission strategy.

The document, due to be discussed by EU health ministers on Friday, highlights the urgency of European efforts to escape a pandemic that has hit the populations and economies of many of its countries hard. “A permanent solution to the Covid-19 crisis is most likely to be brought about by the development and deployment of a safe and effective vaccine against the virus,” said the paper, which is due to be published next week and has been seen by the Financial Times. “Every month gained in the deployment of a vaccine will save many lives, many jobs and many billions of euros.”

Commenting upon this latest bad news for the UK ending the EU Transition period in December, Best for Britain CEO, Naomi Smith said on Twitter:

"By ending the transition period this year, Britain will be cut off from a possible route to a vaccine. The gov't needs to focus all of its energy on ending this public health crisis. That means working with the world to get a vaccine."

The FT article quotes an EU official explaining the plan and how it will pick the companies it works with:

“Location is important, timing is important and the solidness of the scientific approach is important. We need to make sure we are betting on candidates that have a good chance of being successful.”

The article continues:

The commission paper insists the EU will continue “playing its part in ensuring global access to the vaccine, irrespective of wealth”, despite campaigners’ fears of a squeeze on supplies to poorer nations. “What we want to do is to secure sufficient supplies to our member states, while also taking global responsibility,” said another EU official. “This is, in fact, in our own self-interest, because no region is safe until the virus is under control everywhere.”

Source: FT / Best For Britain / unionsafety

 

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