UK unwittingly involved in EU-AstraZeneca dispute

The United Kingdom is now involved in the dispute between the EU and AstraZeneca over the delivery of vaccines to Europe.

Justin Tallis AFP / Archivos

Text by: RFI Follow

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The United Kingdom is now involved in the dispute between the EU and AstraZeneca over the delivery of vaccines to Europe.

Since the lab informed Brussels last week that its deliveries would be below agreed volumes, the 27 have been pressuring AZ not to cut production and asked it to redirect part of UK production to the continent.

A suggestion more than freshly received in London.

Publicity

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With our correspondent in London,

Muriel Delcroix

“ 

No, Europe will not have our vaccines! 

";

“ 

Wait your turn! 

": The Europhobic dailies

Daily Express

and

Daily Mail have been

strangling since Thursday in the face of" 

selfishness

 "in Brussels and its attempt to"

divert

", according to them, tens of millions of doses manufactured in the United Kingdom.

But far from the hysteria of the right-wing tabloids, the rest of the British press is more sober and plays appeasement by trying to explain the heart of the problem.

The

Times

even quotes a pharmaceutical source saying that London has a number of vaccines "

more than enough

" for this year and that the UK will therefore be able to give it to other countries.

►

To read also: Vaccine against Covid-19: the standoff between the EU and the AstraZeneca laboratory

For its part, the government of Boris Johnson is careful not to confirm these comments and tries to stay out of the controversy.

Nonetheless, in light of the tabloids' backlash and British concern, Downing Street signaled that appeals from Brussels would hit a wall.

In a position of strength, London thus demands to receive all the vaccines ordered and paid for and called by the voice of Minister of State Michael Gove for a "

cooperative dialogue to see how to help the EU

 ".

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  • European Union

  • United Kingdom

  • Coronavirus

  • Health and medicine