STUPIDER THAN STUPID
EU HITS NUCLEAR BUTTON OVER JABS
EU idiots went nuclear in their jabs war with the UK last night by proposing to limit vaccine exports to the UK.
Boris Johnson and his EU counterparts were locked in talks to avoid a vaccine nationalism face-off.
The UK Government and European Commission issued a joint statement saying they were working together “to create a win-win situation” and hoping to “expand vaccine supply for all our citizens”.
The statement said: “In the end, openness and global co-operation of all countries will be key to finally overcome this pandemic and ensure better preparation for meeting future challenges… We will continue our discussions.”
The statement came after Ursula
von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, vowed to tighten EU vaccine export rules.
Nations with more successful rollouts, like the UK, could now be barred from receiving the EU supplies they have ordered.
The inflammatory move comes as the bloc lags woefully behind the
UK’S world-leading programme. In France, President Emmanuel Macron pointed out this week that jabs could be given over weekends.
Meanwhile in Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel cancelled strict Easter lockdown plans – despite cases in the country rising steadily since mid-february.
Across the EU, just over 11% of adults have received a first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine but in the UK the figure is nearly 54%.
The EU’S ongoing row with Ukswedish firm Astrazeneca over delivery of doses has fuelled tension.
Our vital Pfizer jab orders were threatened if the Oxford-astrazeneca supplies destined for EU countries did not ramp up – despite previously questioning the UK jab’s efficacy.
EC executive vice-president Valdis
Dombrovskis argued controls are necessary because while the EU is a “global hotspot of the pandemic” it is also the largest exporter of vaccines.
Meanwhile, Mr Johnson hit back at EU plans to control sales of vaccines, depending on whether the destination country’s cases are “better or worse than the EU’S”.
The PM said blockades were “not sensible” adding: “The long-term damage done by blockades can be very considerable.”
He said that blockades or interruption of supply chains could affect “future investments in countries”.
Yesterday the UK saw 98 deaths following a positive Covid test and 5,605 new cases of coronavirus.
More than 28.6million people have now had their first jab.