Delays in rolling out vaccine

The U.K. also has a universal health care system. Everyone has a registration number from cradle to grave. This makes the rollout a lot easier.
 
I'm basing my opinion on facts rather than media gloss or propaganda...
The UK had a four week head start because the EU took longer to approve based on the same data. In the end the approval was a formality.

You need to check your facts so. AZ only requested formal EU approval in mid January, long after they had done so in the UK. The EU had been calling on them to release data required to assess it earlier
 
Something which might simplify rollout of Pfizer vaccine:

BioNTech/Pfizer Covid vaccine no longer needs ultra-cold storage. Shot can be kept at normal medical freezer temperatures of minus 15C to minus 25C for up to two weeks, compared with the previous required storage conditions of between minus 60C and minus 80C.

More from the FT here (paywall).
 
You need to check your facts so. AZ only requested formal EU approval in mid January, long after they had done so in the UK. The EU had been calling on them to release data required to assess it earlier

Why the delay in applying? Is this just some form of technicality? I understand the EU had already been reviewing the vaccine much earlier as part of their 'rolling review'.

I wasn't aware of it being reported that the EU were being delayed by AZ in approving the vaccine? \

I stand corrected if so.
 
Probably due to pressure from the UK government combined with the lower price EU was prepared to pay. Time will tell.

That was my sense of it too. Perhaps the UK government, desperate for a good news spin on Brexit offered incentives to prioritise the UK market? I haven't seen any statement from AZ explaining why they waited weeks before releasing the full trial data to the EMA and then until Jan. 12th to submit the request for approval. The EMA were calling on AZ to release more date during December.
 
That was my sense of it too. Perhaps the UK government, desperate for a good news spin on Brexit offered incentives to prioritise the UK market? I haven't seen any statement from AZ explaining why they waited weeks before releasing the full trial data to the EMA and then until Jan. 12th to submit the request for approval. The EMA were calling on AZ to release more date during December.
There's little doubt something was done to favour the UK, yields in the AZ EU factories was fine when producing the initial batches but then fell off a cliff.
 
From RTE:
People with underlying health conditions are set to be moved up the vaccination priority list under a plan being worked on by Government this weekend.
More than 370,000 people aged between 18 and 64 were ranked at number seven in the initial vaccination allocation list announced late last year.

This looks like politicians trying to ingratiate themselves with patient lobby groups. If some groups will be moved up the queue, who will be moved down?
 
People at lower risk of dying or suffering serious illness.
The list as it exists has already been designed to prioritize at-risk groups, presumably based on scientific evidence. I just wonder if the revised list which de-prioritizes some at-risk groups is based on better science or on louder screaming by some lobby groups.
 
Last edited:
The list as it exists has already been designed to prioritize at-risk groups, presumably based on scientific evidence. Which at-risk groups will be de-prioritized?

Nope. The group directly ahead of them includes a lot of government and HSE officials many of whom who are are significantly lower risk. Then a lot of the healthcare workers who are not in patient contact in group 4 are also significantly lower risk.
 
OK that's reassuring if it comes at the expense of groups who should never have been prioritized in the first place
 
OK that's reassuring if it comes at the expense of groups who should never have been prioritized in the first place
The list contradicted earlier health advice - people with such conditions were told to cocoon basically.
And 65-69 year olds were not.
Yet in the vaccination rollout plan people with underlying conditions were ranked below 65-69 year olds.
So the initial prioritisation always seems off to me, I think they were relying on the vulnerable people to continue cocooning and not get infected which is reasonable in the short term but not when lockdowns extend for months.
 
So the initial prioritisation always seems off to me, I think they were relying on the vulnerable people to continue cocooning and not get infected which is reasonable in the short term but not when lockdowns extend for months.

AFAIK, “cocooning” as a restriction only applied to Lockdown One. It’s been voluntary since.
 
Back
Top