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Britain seems to be in an enviable place as a third wave of coronavirus infections sweeps across Europe. A rapid launch of the vaccine and weeks of blockade to suppress what the continent refers to as the “English strain” has seen deaths and hospitalizations fall.
However, within the London government, however, they believe that progress could be undermined by any vaccine-resistant and toxic variants. policy with the European Union on exports that could lead to a dose shortage.
Jumping in infections at the UK door could now be the first real global test if a rhythm-setting inoculation program is enough to keep a country protected. It will also provide an indication of whether it is sufficient to ensure that there are no obstacles to the reopening of the economy.
After a steady decline, Covid-19 infections in the UK are bending nationally and are starting to rise among under-19s after schools reopen this month. There is also the prospect of prioritizing the decline supply of vaccine to give people a second dose after the UK decided to widen the gap between photos. This would mean that the younger age of the population will remain unvaccinated for longer.
People are queuing to enter an 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 Vaccine tracking. This made Britain stand out for positive reasons after recording the highest number of deaths in Europe from Covid-19 and a number of government mistakes.
But Britain is still in an “incredibly risky situation,” he said Susan Michie, a behavioral scientist on the SAGE government’s scientific advisory committee. “We have a partially vaccinated population, with a high level of transmission – which means many mutations, variants,” she said. “The more options there are, the more likely it is to undermine the vaccination program.”
The third wave in Europe is mainly caused by the more contagious strain of the virus in the UK, 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 British government. by The Times.
Any growth of these new strains is extremely worrying, as it is not yet clear how resistant they are to vaccines. “When a wave hits our friends,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on March 22. “I’m afraid they’re washing on our shores, too.”
From a political point of view, it is also a mess. UK and EU officials are discussing how best to resolve a vaccine-sharing dispute after the bloc tightened export restrictions. This was followed by a temporary suspension of AstraZeneca Plc in some countries due to concerns about side effects, which has undermined public confidence.
Boris Johnson speaks to people who had just been vaccinated at St Thomas’ Hospital in London on March 19.
Photographer: Frank Augstein-WPA Pool / Getty Images
The British government has tried – mainly – to try to stay above the fight in public. Johnson has repeatedly said that all countries are “fighting the same pandemic.” The government does not want to lose the “high moral ground”, according to a minister, speaking on condition of anonymity.
But behind closed doors, there are fears in the government about what a blockade of vaccines in Europe would mean for the UK – especially as the UK faces a significant cut in supply in April due to delayed deliveries from India and of re-testing a separate batch.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Friday that tensions over supply of AstraZeneca were partly due to the British vaccination strategy and suggested that Britain was blackmailing Europe. “One wanted to get vaccinated en masse with a first dose and then find himself slightly handicapped 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 “over-employed” because it had released so many first doses without securing supplies for the second dose. That means Johnson’s government is in dire need of EU aid, the official said.
The British government states that the supply of vaccines remains secure and that there is no threat to people receiving the second dose within 12 weeks.
The Moderna vaccine is set to be released in a few weeks.
Photographer: Stephen Zenner / Bloomberg
There are also new photos in progress. The Moderna Inc. The vaccine, made in the United States, has been approved by the UK regulator and is set to be released in a few weeks. Novavax Inc. shot, which will be made in the UK, is awaiting approval.
Having a wide range of vaccines is vital for immunizing people under the age of 50, maintaining cases and preventing new variants in South Africa and Brazil that will take place in the UK, he said. Lawrence Young, virologist at Warwick Medical School. He showed an increase in the number of young people hospitalized in Brazil. “It’s a concern and that’s why I don’t think there’s room for satisfaction.”
Read more: Covid’s next challenge in the UK could be public satisfaction
However, the government is under pressure to reopen the economy and give people an appearance of normalcy this summer. “If pubs, restaurants and the wedding industry do not return to business, then people will lose their jobs and people will lose what brings them joy,” said Steve Baker, a senior MP in the ruling Conservative Party.
Johnson has already acknowledged this week that holidays abroad “seem difficult for the time being”, another blow to the tourism industry. He will set travel plans in early April, but in private those in government are pessimistic.
A British official warned that if the British were allowed to go abroad this summer, it would be “crazy”. “It’s like, ‘Hello, new variants, come on,'” he said.
– With the assistance of Geraldine Amiel