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The UK appears to be in an enviable place with a third wave of coronavirus infections sweeping Europe. A quick vaccine launch and weeks of blockade to suppress what the continent refers to as the “English strain” has seen deaths and hospitalizations plummet.
However, concerns are growing within the government in London that progress could be hindered by any variants resistant to the vaccine and a toxic product. political disagreements with the European Union over exports that may result in a dose deficit.
The jump in Britain’s door infections may now be the first real global test of whether a vaccination program to set the pace is sufficient to keep a country safe. It will also give an indication as to whether it is sufficient to ensure that there is no setback in the reopening of the economy.
After a steady decline, Covid-19 infections across the UK are stabilizing across the country and starting to increase among children under 19, after schools reopened this month. There is also the prospect of prioritizing the reduction vaccine supplies to give people a second dose after the UK decided to increase the vaccine interval. This would mean that the youngest segment of the population will remain unvaccinated any longer.
People line up to enter the NHS Covid-19 vaccination center in London.
Photographer: Tolga Akmen / AFP / Getty Images
The UK has given 43% of the country at least one dose – or more than half of the adult population – compared to 9.6% in the European Union, according to Bloomberg’s Vaccine tracker. This made Britain stand out for positive reasons, after recording the largest number of Covid-19 deaths in Europe and a series of government mistakes.
But the UK is still in an “incredibly risky situation”, he said. Susan Michie, a behavioral scientist who sits on the SAGE government’s scientific advisory committee. “We still have a partially vaccinated population with high levels of transmission – which means many mutations, variants,” she said. “The more variants, the more likely there are to be variants that harm the vaccination program.”
The third wave in Europe is driven mainly by the most contagious strain of the UK virus, but the South African and Brazilian versions account for up to 40% of all new cases in some regions of France, according to data presented to the UK government. . by The Times.
Any increase in these new strains is highly worrying because it is not yet clear how resistant they are to vaccines. “When a wave hits our friends,” warned Prime Minister Boris Johnson on March 22. “I fear that it will also reach our beaches”.
Politically, it is also a mess. UK and EU officials are in talks on how best to resolve a dispute over vaccine sharing after the bloc has tightened export restrictions. This followed a temporary suspension of the AstraZeneca Plc vaccine in some countries due to concerns about side effects, which undermined public confidence.
Boris Johnson speaks to people who have just been vaccinated at St. Thomas Hospital in London on March 19.
Photographer: Frank Augstein-WPA Pool / Getty Images
The UK government has – mainly – tried to stay above the fray in public. Johnson repeatedly said that all countries are “fighting the same pandemic”. The government does not want to lose its “high moral standing”, according to a minister, speaking on condition of anonymity.
But behind closed doors, there are fears in the government about what a vaccine blockade from Europe would mean for Britain – especially as the UK is facing a significant reduction in supply in April due to delayed delivery from India and the new test. separate batch.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Friday that tensions over AstraZeneca’s supply were partly due to the British vaccination strategy and suggested that the UK was blackmailing Europe. “Someone wanted to vaccinate en masse with a first dose and then found themselves a little incapacitated for the second dose,” he said. “Europe does not have to pay the price for this policy.”
A senior EU official said the UK was “overcommitted” because it had delivered too many first doses without guaranteeing supplies for the second doses. That means the Johnson government is in dire need of EU aid, the official said.
The UK government says vaccine supplies remain safe and there is no threat to people receiving their second dose in 12 weeks.
The Modern vaccine should be released within weeks.
Photographer: Stephen Zenner / Bloomberg
There are also new shots in progress. The Moderna Inc. The vaccine, made in the United States, has been approved by the UK regulator and is expected to be released within weeks. The Novavax Inc. shot, to be made in the UK, is awaiting approval.
Having an ample supply of vaccines is vital to immunizing people under 50, keeping cases low and preventing new variants from South Africa and Brazil from spreading in the UK, he said. Lawrence Young, virologist at Warwick Medical School. He pointed to an increase in the number of young people hospitalized in Brazil. “This is a concern and that is why I don’t think there is room for complacency.”
Read more: UK’s next Covid challenge may be public complacency
The government, however, is under pressure to reopen the economy and give people some semblance of normalcy this summer. “If the pubs, restaurants and the wedding industry don’t work again, people will lose their jobs and lose what brings them joy,” said Steve Baker, a senior Conservative Party MP in government.
Johnson has already admitted this week that vacations abroad “seem difficult for now”, another blow to the travel industry. He will make travel plans in early April, but in particular, government officials are pessimistic.
A UK official warned that if the British could travel abroad this summer, it would be “crazy”. “It’s like, ‘Hello, new variants, come on,’” said the person.
– With the help of Geraldine Amiel