Coronavirus

[Frances_iom]

..- I merely said the situation must have been 'galling': they were the ones left in the lurch by both big producers.

What I find surprising is the lack of prior communication between Astrazeneca and the EU - surely there was enough past history (eg from UK) of the difficulty of ramping up production of a new vaccine especially given the normal development time is measured in years not a few months - my guess is that the commercial arm of the EU attempted to force price down which doesn't help increase the company's desire to be forthcoming and that communication on a technical level was lacking - the UK somehow made the great decision, possibly the only one that BJ has made throughout the covid fiasco, to temporarily appoint someone highly technically qualified from a life-science venture fund to both 'spot' and help fund by early orders and in case of Oxford to help organise an industrial partner, for a number of likely vaccine successes. It paid off - the EU is actually now crying foul yet it was entirely in their own interests to do the same but they didn't.

[Dave2002]

Are the official news briefings in the UK now done with a sign language interpreter? I think some are, but I note that some people are still asking for this.

Is there a problem with access to a sign language interpreter, or is it that different channels don't actually show the sign language interpreter during the broadcasts? For example, BBC One and BBC News might have different ways of presenting the same news briefing.

[oddoneout]

Are the official news briefings in the UK now done with a sign language interpreter? I think some are, but I note that some people are still asking for this.

Is there a problem with access to a sign language interpreter, or is it that different channels don't actually show the sign language interpreter during the broadcasts? For example, BBC One and BBC News might have different ways of presenting the same news briefing.

Any interpreter charged with doing the PM might suddenly find another more important engagement...

I've just found this https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/301461 the response I find interesting, especially in light of the way it seems to be considered acceptable/normal to have adjacent spaces rammed with non-masked non-distanced bodies during such briefings, judging by the Christmas Eve photo header on a Guardian article I read recently. My MP has yet to respond to my question about that item despite a direct request to do so( my emails to him are almost all just setting out my views for the record without any expectation of reply) so I can try again and add part of this official statement.
https://www.deafcouncil.org.uk/2020/...l-coronavirus/ was the original position so has that changed as the petition rather suggest might be the case?
I see that White House press briefings will now have American Sign Language interpreters.

[LHC]

Accepting your figures as correct, I'm not sure that per capita calculations are entirely justified, particularly, as in this case, the EU is neither a single sovereign state (like the UK) nor a tight federation like the US when it comes to funding projects. I assume that EU countries have also, individually, funded research?

I'm glad the EU has backed off - promptly, be it said - I merely said the situation must have been 'galling': they were the ones left in the lurch by both big producers.

If I have read the figures correctly, I think European bloc would include investment by all of the countries individually, as well as the EU Commission, so I think the comparisons are valid.

I just think it was disingenuous of the EU Commission to highlight their investment, and to suggest this should give them privileged access to vaccines, when lots of other countries have invested as much, and several have invested more.

The EU also foolishly prioritised price over speed in its negotiations with the main vaccine manufacturers (for Pfizer I think they are paying 45% less than the US and Israel), so can hardly complain when those same companies fulfil their earlier contracts first. Netanyahu gave a talk at Davos a few days ago about the success of the vaccine roll out in Israel, and said that they quickly decided that speed of delivery and immediate access to vaccines was the most important issue for them, and so they were prepared to pay what it cost to deliver on that priority.

I also saw a report that suggested that the money saved by the EU on vaccines from its three+ months of additional negotiations was equivalent to 2 days of the money lost to EU economies from the various lockdowns, so almost certainly a false economy on their part.

[Cockney Sparrow]

What I find surprising is the lack of prior communication between Astrazeneca and the EU - surely there was enough past history (eg from UK) of the difficulty of ramping up production of a new vaccine especially given the normal development time is measured in years not a few months - my guess is that the commercial arm of the EU attempted to force price down which doesn't help increase the company's desire to be forthcoming and that communication on a technical level was lacking - the UK somehow made the great decision, possibly the only one that BJ has made throughout the covid fiasco, to temporarily appoint someone highly technically qualified from a life-science venture fund to both 'spot' and help fund by early orders and in case of Oxford to help organise an industrial partner, for a number of likely vaccine successes. It paid off - the EU is actually now crying foul yet it was entirely in their own interests to do the same but they didn't.

Also a lot of background info in this article:

Guardian 30th January - 'We had to go it alone':

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jan/29/we-had-to-go-it-alone-how-the-uk-got-ahead-in-the-covid-vaccine-race

"With Brexit looming, the UK drew huge criticism for declining to join EU schemes to purchase PPE and ventilators. There was also growing pressure to join a joint EU procurement plan for vaccines, and to put aside the Brexit rhetoric.

But Brussels’ demands were eye-watering: the UK, unlike EU member states, would not be able to take part in the governance of the scheme, including the steering group or the negotiating team.
Britain would have no say in what vaccines to procure, at what price or in what quantity, and for what delivery schedule. There would be no side-deals possible.

British officials were not convinced. “We had to go it alone,” said a UK source. “There was nothing there for us.” By the time a special UK vaccine taskforce was created in April, the seeds of a successful strategy had been sown."

[LezLee]

Are the official news briefings in the UK now done with a sign language interpreter? I think some are, but I note that some people are still asking for this.

Is there a problem with access to a sign language interpreter, or is it that different channels don't actually show the sign language interpreter during the broadcasts? For example, BBC One and BBC News might have different ways of presenting the same news briefing.

The Scottish bulletins have had Sign Language interpreters right from the beginning. My sister was surprised at the lack of them on the English news programmes.

[vinteuil]

The Scottish bulletins have had Sign Language interpreters right from the beginning. My sister was surprised at the lack of them on the English news programmes.

... and the Northern Ireland bulletins have simultaneously two different interpreters - presumably two different sign languages?

.

[Bryn]

... and the Northern Ireland bulletins have simultaneously two different interpreters - presumably two different sign languages?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northern_Ireland_Sign_Language

[Frances_iom]

...
I just think it was disingenuous of the EU Commission to highlight their investment, and to suggest this should give them privileged access to vaccines,

Triggering article 16 was a stupid + vindictive move primarily against the UK which had to have been taken at a high or the highest level in the commission - it bodes badly for the future as the EU now appears to have embarked on a Bismarkian "might is right" approach.
Having shown a willingness to accept a border in Ireland when it suits them, it demonstrates that the border question was indeed weaponised against the UK - some serious thought now needs to be given as such a tactic once employed becomes easier to employ in future.

[french frank]

If I have read the figures correctly, I think European bloc would include investment by all of the countries individually, as well as the EU Commission, so I think the comparisons are valid.

I'm not disputing that the EU has been lumberingly wrong-footed. The per capita comparison is what troubled me. I think it was Simon B who mentioned (on the Brexit thread?) that the UK might have the advantage of being more nimble-footed in some circumstances (the Guardian analysis yesterday said that we have now bought the equivalent of 5.5 jabs per person, putting us near the top of the league, which in itself must have increased the early pressure on manufacturers). But a relatively small, rich country is less burdened by the necessity for subsidy than a sprawling union, seven times the size where separate, relatively populous countries with fewer resources have an equal right, as members, to the same service.

Whether the UK is therefore 'better off' out of the EU in this case is somewhat moot, given that individual member countries are still able to negotiate their own deals as Hungary (?) has with Russia. In terms of 'unacceptable behaviour', the EU carries a huge responsibility towards the union and each individual state. Few states/unions come out of any of this covered with glory (though those governed by women seemed to have come out of it better than most ).

[Frances_iom]

... we have now bought the equivalent of 5.5 jabs per person, putting us near the top of the league, which in itself must have increased the early pressure on manufacturers)....

but surely this early ordering moves most of the risk in investing in plant etc away from the manufacturer, and indeed allows future buyers probably to get it at better prices - the EU appears to have forced a lower price on manufacturers at too early a stage in the development - whether they had to do this on pure cost seems as LHC points out self defeating. I understand that the UK once the dust has settled and the amount of spare vaccine becomes obvious will make it available for other countries.

[french frank]

but surely this early ordering moves most of the risk in investing in plant etc away from the manufacturer, and indeed allows future buyers probably to get it at better prices - the EU appears to have forced a lower price on manufacturers at too early a stage in the development - whether they had to do this on pure cost seems as LHC points out self defeating. I understand that the UK once the dust has settled and the amount of spare vaccine becomes obvious will make it available for other countries.

Yes, excuse me. Just a character flaw to try and understand both sides in a dispute. I was not thinking of the risk as about production capacity. I have nil knowledge of whether or to what degree the EU put cost pressures on the manufacturers.

As for the UK making the excess available to others when they find they don't need it, I'm sure they will. Even perhaps donate it to Africa which has been worst provided for with only 0.2 jabs per person

[teamsaint]

Interested to know why the vaccination numbers are showing this pattern of increases as the week progresses.
I know that one of our local surgeries did their first two rounds of jabs Weds to Friday.

[Anastasius]

Pretty galling for the EU, having put billions of euros into the development of the first vaccines, to be let down by Pfizer and AstraZeneca......

Source please.

[Anastasius]

It used to be the case that it was assumed self isolation within a household was possible (presumably law passed by middle class MPs with 2 bathroom houses etc) as there was comment to use separate towels + clean bathroom after use etc - the IoM also used this UK rule until of course the virus escaped into the community via another member of household - then changed law to all household must isolate and as in a small community easy to check and with courts very willing to impose 6 week jail sentences if law broken - returning students at xmas had to self isolate in holiday accommodation.

It is obvious that the UK cannot police self isolation hence a major contributor to the spread of the virus

I think you may have missed my point namely does the whole household have to self-isolate or not. And if so, is that message getting through.