But also, as E.U. member states are suspending the AstraZeneca vaccine why is it even a problem that the shipments are leaving the E.U.?
I find the response and handling of the entire situation by the E.U. to be a bit perplexing.
Well, they are, and that is when you see the UK media accusing EU of 'vaccine nationalism', all the while Europe being one of the major exporter of vaccines, while UK & USA export zero.
> But also, as E.U. member states are suspending the AstraZeneca vaccine why is it even a problem that the shipments are leaving the E.U.?
The safety of the vaccine is under examination & completely unrelated to the procurement issues. Europe has not cancelled the order & still expects it to be fulfilled if the vaccine is deemed safe after the review process is done
> I find the response and handling of the entire situation by the E.U. to be a bit perplexing.
It's quite perplexing because we're all reading about it from the english speaking media who are a bit biased about it to say the least
Basically by doing so the EU would take Ireland "hostage" over its commercial war with the UK, and it's something the Irish people took very badly.
Concerning the suspension, we just don't have enough info. The EU medical authority is due to talk officially about it next Thursday, but if every EU country is suspending it in advance, I think it will be officially banned/suspended
1. No actual contract violation appears to be occurring. See my other comments.
2. Supply chains for vaccines are long and complex. The EU risks retaliation by other countries that block supplies to them in return.
3. EU has publicly proclaimed many times it hates the idea of "vaccine nationalism" as it calls it, by which it means countries blocking exports of things. Then they did it, it makes them hypocritical.
4. When governments intervene in third party contracts it makes that part of the world less safe to do business. The company is out of pocket and left to pick up the pieces with the customers. Companies hate that and it's ultimately companies, in a capitalist economy, who do the bulk of the work in society. So making it hard for them to do that means you're less likely to have such companies next time around.
Indeed EU already has a problem in the sense that most vaccines are produced by companies outside its borders, even if some factories are within it.
As for why they are suspending the vaccine whilst also demanding more of it, the suspensions appear to be political? AZ have claimed that the rate of blood clotting issues is actually lower in the vaccinated population than the average population, i.e. vaccines are not causing those issues, it's just coincidence. I don't really know how to interpret this claim - would that imply the vaccine is actually suppressing blood clotting problems? But so far AZ have a track record of making correct claims, and the EU does not, so I am inclined to believe them if that's what the stats say (they don't try to explain the lower incidence rates amongst vaccinated populations, just note that it exists).
It's my understanding that only Pfizer/Biontech vaccine doses are being imported from the EU.
https://www.ft.com/content/662ab296-2aef-4179-907c-5dba5c355...
This is false, they are also coming from the Netherlands & Germany
https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/19042726.oxford-astrazenec...