EU regulators have proposed to require drug manufacturers to signal exports of vaccines against the coronavirus, a move that could halt deliveries of the vaccine made by Pfizer and BioNTech.
Photographer: Nathan Laine / Bloomberg
Photographer: Nathan Laine / Bloomberg
UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock has warned the European Union against “protectionism” after the bloc’s regulators the proposed pharmacists must signal exports of vaccines against the coronavirus.
EU action can stop deliveries of Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE shots, which are manufactured in Belgium. The AstraZeneca Plc vaccine is manufactured in the United Kingdom and licensed for production abroad.
The UK leads Europe in coronavirus vaccinations, with 6.6 million people – about 10% of the British population – receiving their first dose on Sunday. There is growing anger in the EU about delays in delivering AstraZeneca, which is expected to deliver fewer photos on the continent in the first quarter than previously expected.
“I am happy to say that I am confident – having spoken to the chief executives of Pfizer and AstraZeneca – confident in the supply of vaccine to the UK; I am confident that this will not be stopped, ”said Hancock at a London webinar on Tuesday. “But I urge all international partners to collaborate and work together. And I think protectionism is not the right approach in the middle of a pandemic. “
At the event, organized by the research institute Chatham House, Hancock was questioned several times about the UK’s international reputation after the country advanced in the distribution of vaccines. The South African government has complained about “vaccine apartheid” and “inequality gaps” in the agreements signed by pharmaceutical companies with the wealthiest nations.
“As the UK’s health secretary, it is my duty to protect the people of the UK,” he said in defending the British government’s strategy.
London will push for the standardization of research methods across countries so that disease data can be more easily shared, said Hancock. The UK, which is currently chairman of the G7 group of industrialized nations, is also offering a way to assess Covid’s mutations abroad, along with aid funding for the poorest nations as part of its international effort, he said.
The UK plans to offer vaccines to about 15 million people in its 4 priority groups by 15 February. This includes nursing home residents, people over 70, and frontline healthcare professionals.
(Adds Matt Hancock’s comments starting in the first paragraph)