EU “Can’t export AZ to Britain”… ‘Vaccine Home-Priority’ in the Extreme

The corona 19 vaccine battle between the UK and the European Union is spreading into a mud fight. Due to the lack of vaccine supply, the battle to secure the vaccine is intensifying. ‘Vaccine home-priority’ among developed countries is intensifying, and it has adversely affected the securing of vaccines in developing countries.

On the 21st (local time), Bloomberg News quoted an anonymous EU official, saying, “The EU will not export AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccines manufactured in Europe to the UK.” It will only be used.” Reuters reported that, citing an anonymous official, “the EU has rejected the UK’s request to export the AZ vaccine produced in the Dutch factory.”

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told SkyNews, “Attempts to separate the UK or build a wall with the UK are damaging to both British and European citizens. This damage to the EU’s reputation will not recover in a short period of time.” Criticized.

The UK and the EU have already had friction over the past few weeks over the issue of vaccine exports. Earlier on the 17th, Urzula Ponderrayen, the EU Commissioner, said, “In the past six weeks, we have sent 10 million doses of vaccine to the UK, and the EU is waiting for the vaccine to come from the UK.” “We will reconsider whether exports to countries with higher inoculation rates than ours are balanced.” It directly mentioned the ban on the export of vaccines. The EU expects to receive only 30 million doses, which is about 30% of the 90 million doses that AstraZeneca decided to receive in the first quarter of this year.

The apparent cause of this conflict is the suspicion of European countries toward Britain. The UK, which has completed Brexit this year (the UK’s withdrawal from the EU), is not supplying its own AZ vaccine to mainland Europe sufficiently and quickly. “This is to ensure that Europe has a fair share,” he said, warning the UK of an export ban.

However, it is analyzed that the root cause is the political and economic crisis that occurred while the vaccination rate in the EU remained in the 10% range. Currently, the vaccination rate in the EU is 12%, which is different from the US at 37% and the UK at 43%.

Multinational financial group ING revised the eurozone GDP decline in the first quarter of this year from 0.8% to 1.5%. Economist Karsten Bjeski explained, “It was a growth rate forecast based on the prospect that the European blockade will gradually ease in March, but the prospect of easing the blockade in March should be abandoned.”

It is an analysis that the governments of the EU, which became urgent as the public’s complaints were accumulated due to the long blockade and could not speed up the vaccination process, are pressing the UK to release a vaccine.

Concerns continue to be heard in the international community over the vaccination fight between the EU and the UK. About 90% of the vaccines already produced have been concentrated in some well-produced countries, as vaccine conflicts between developed countries could intensify their vaccine monopoly.

The New York Times (NYT) said on the 21st, “Except for some countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom, countries have to wait several years for vaccination.” “I gave up the leverage (leverage) to send vaccines to people,” he criticized.

NYT said, “To solve the problem, WHO planned a program to share the know-how of vaccine suppliers with developing countries, but no one participated. “The problem is that companies don’t want to do it,” said James Love, director of the nonprofit International Knowledge Ecosystem (KEI). “The government is not showing a strong attitude toward companies.”

On the 21st, the US political media Politico said, “As the US production and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines increases, the Joe Biden administration faced pressure from the Democratic Party to ensure that citizens of poor countries also have access to the vaccine.” If a solution is not found before the WTO meeting, President Biden could be challenged at the G20 summit in October.”

The WTO meeting to discuss exemption from intellectual property rights for vaccines is scheduled to be held in the middle of next month. Already in October of last year, India and South Africa have been asking the WTO to temporarily waive the provisions related to the Intellectual Property Agreement (TRIPS) so that various countries can produce vaccines.

Reporter Kim Hong-beom [email protected]