Good morning,
Vaccine War?
A vaccine shortfall has potentially pitted Europe againstThe UK which has just left The European Union and is a highly charged political and health emergency.
It started when vaccine company Astrazeneca announced it had supply problems on two assembly lines in Belgium and the Netherlands. As a result The EU would get 60% fewer doses, in the first quarter of 2021. Note that the EU was slightly slow to contract drug companies because it had to get 27 nations to sign off on those contracts which out it behind Britain and others.
But, the EU doesn’t see it that way. EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides has spoken out against Astrazeneca demanding clarity on it’s delivery schedule noting this is not about numbers or statistics, but it’s about saving lives. In fact some EU Countries like Spain have such a shortfall they have suspended vaccinations. “We reject the logic of first come, first served,” Kyriakides said, “That may work in a butchers shop but not in contracts and not in our advanced purchase agreements.”
Here’s where the dispute gets ugly. Astrazeneca has two more supply lines in The UK, and Kyriakides said UK factories, which have not experienced problems, were part of its deal with the company and had to deliver. There have been heated meetings with The EU and Astrazeneca. Stirring anger in the EU are comments from the Leader of the British Tory Party Jacob-Rees-Mogg who hailed the "quick" approval of the COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech, saying it was only possible due to Britain's momentous Brexit decision.He said "because we have left the EU” the vaccines contracts were approved quickly adding the process would have been “slower”.
The EU may hit back The bloc has now threatened to tighten controls on Covid vaccine exports within days – threatening the supply of Belgium-made Pfizer-BioNTech jabs.
The EU may hit back by restricting the exports of Pfizer vaccines which are made in Belgium, to The UK saying action will be taken to protect EU citizens now facing 50 million fewer vaccines because of the Astrazeneca manufacturing shortfall.
https://metro.co.uk/2021/01/26/eu-threatens-to-impose-strict-controls-of-pfizer-vaccine-on-uk-13965101/
British politicians are saying they haver multiple vaccines contracts and have been assured those vaccines will be forthcoming so it appears The EU will have the main shortfall. The UK has for example vaccinated 7 million people, where as Germany has only vaccinated 1 million by comparison.
But while The UK may be taking satisfaction it signed contracts earlier than The EU, this could develop into a trade war with Britain and have much deeper resentment and even divide The European Union.
British Schools and Covid
The Government has announced another 6 weeks of home schooling because of high Covid rates. More than 70% of teachers report they think kids learning is behind in this home environment fuelling teacher union demands they receive vaccines early so schools can get back to normal. My kids are at home, and like all parents we have concerns about their extended challenges to socialize and learn. A March 8 return to school seems like a long way off considering they have not been back to school since before Christmas!
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uks-johnson-hopes-schools-in-england-can-reopen-on-march-8-boris-johnson-uk-england-schools-school-b1793571.html
And we all thought 2021 was going to be so different? Not so far but let’s stay positive.
Back Story on Russia Unrest
This is an important podcast I just did on whats happening inside Russia and it begins with an interview with Zhanna Nemtsov whose father was murdered in front of the Kremlin in 2015. Zhanna talks us through that terrible loss and the hope she has for the new opposition movement in Russia and her support for jailed Alexei Navalny.
I also talk to former Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov about allegations of Putins deep corruption record, and his plunging popularity and what is the future?
If you have yet to subscribe to Back Story with Dana Lewis podcast do it now! You can listen on apple stitcher and so many platforms or on this buzzsprout link. Enjoy!
https://www.buzzsprout.com/1016881/7499026
Gamestop
Gamestop’s shares have risen 1700 per cent since December because small, some big, investors on Reddit have decided to take on wall street and buy the shares crushing some big investor firms who were selling the stock short. It’s a social media phenomenon and worth a read. Highly entertaining and worth billions of dollars for those who participated. I assume what goes up…may come crashing down?
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/27/business/gamestop-wall-street-bets.html