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The EU has backed down over its controversial plan to use a Brexit clause to stop Covid vaccines crossing the Irish border amid the ongoing row over jab supplies.
Downing Street had demanded an urgent explanation after the European Commission said it would trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol to ensure all citizens of the bloc have access to jabs and maintain transparency.
However the move was widely condemned across the UK and Ireland - with both Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionist Party describing the move as “totally ill judged” and '"an incredible act of hostility".
The Commission later confirmed that it would not trigger Article 16 but warned that it would consider taking action if attempts were made to circumvent export controls imposed on vaccines produced within the bloc. The dispute began after AstraZeneca announced it would reduce its initial supplies of vaccines to the EU by 60 per cent.
It came as the European Medicines Agency granted authorisation for the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine for use in adults throughout the EU on Friday.
Meanwhile, a fourth Covid-19 vaccine could be approved for use in the UK in a matter of weeks after clinical trials showed the Novavax candidate was 89 per cent effective in preventing coronavirus.
The Novavax jab, which will be produced on Teesside, will now be assessed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The UK has secured 60 million doses of the vaccine, which is believed to offer protection against emerging variants, such as the new UK and South African strains.
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- The vaccine bust-up between Britain and the EU is a lose-lose situation - but is it a sign of things to come?
Moroccan king launches vaccination campaign
Morocco has begun rolling out its vaccination programme, starting with King Mohammed VI.
‘Where we can help our friends and neighbours, we would do that,’ says junior minister on EU vaccine row
Junior minister Lucy Frazer said the row between AstraZeneca and the EU is a "commercial matter" but added that the UK will help neighbouring countries "where we can”.
Replying to a question about the ongoing dispute about supplies, she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "That is a commercial matter between AstraZeneca and the EU.
"But we are confident that the supplies that we have put in place with AstraZeneca, which will help us to reach our target of vaccinating everybody by the autumn, we are confident that we will get the supplies for that.”
Pressed on European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen reportedly stating that in AstraZeneca's contract with the bloc it said two out of its four vaccine factories are in the UK, Ms Frazer added: "We have done a great deal of work in the UK to help support the supply chain and the manufacturing base to ensure that we have sufficient supplies within this country.
"But, as I said, our priority is to ensure we vaccinate people in the UK, but of course, where we can help our friends and neighbours, we would do that."
Covid pandemic ‘gigantic setback’ for progress of humanity - Bill Gates
Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has said the coronavirus pandemic is a “gigantic setback” for humanity, but is holding out hope that in two to five years, normalcy will be restored if the infection abates.
On Wednesday, in an annual newsletter co-authored by Melinda Gates, he outlined his ambitious plan to prevent the next pandemic outbreak and called for investment in creating a global pandemic preparedness system.
My colleague Namita Singh reports:
Covid pandemic ‘gigantic setback’ for progress of humanity, says Bill Gates
Bill Gates called for investment in creating a global pandemic preparedness system
Novavax vaccine is ‘highly effective’, says Prof Chris Whitty
England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty has said that the Novavax vaccine candidate is a “highly effective” one to add to “medical countermeasures against Covid-19 trialed in the UK”.
In a tweet, he thanked researchers and volunteers who participated in the trials.
UK cannot publish vaccine supply data over national security concerns, says minister
Despite the Scottish government having said it will publish detailed Covid-19 vaccine supply data next week, a minister has said that Britain cannot publish details of the AstraZeneca vaccine supply contract because it would jeopardise national security.
Prisons minister Lucy Frazer said the government had been transparent with data but could not publish the details for national security reasons.
Speaking to LBC radio, the former barrister said her “understanding is it risks national security” if the UK were to publish the data, but refused to say how it would hurt national security.
It comes as the EU warned drug companies it would use all legal means to keep supplies on the continent, and could even block exports unless they agreed to deliver shots as promised.
EU to explore ‘all legal means’ to keep vaccine supplies as row continues
The EU has stepped up its threat to block exports of Pfizer vaccine doses to the UK if necessary, saying that it is ready to use “all legal means” to retain vaccine supplies.
A leaked letter sent by Charles Michel, the European Council president, reveals Brussels is exploring “urgent measures to ensure effective vaccine production and supply for our population”.
Our Deputy Political Editor Rob Merrick reports:
EU steps up threat to block vaccine exports to UK by exploring ‘all legal means’ to keep supplies
Leaked letter reveals ‘urgent measures to ensure effective vaccine production and supply for our population’
Novavax vaccine could be adapted ‘at pace’ to keep up with emerging variants
Professor Paul Heath, chief investigator of the Novavax Phase 3 trial, has said he believed that vaccines could be adapted "at pace" to target new variants of coronavirus after the Novavax jab was found to be effective against the Kent variant.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today show that the results from the trial were "yet another great step forward for the UK”.
Prof Heath added: "I think the technology we have both with this vaccine, the Novavax technology, and the other vaccines, it is such that they can adapt quickly so we can expect to see, if required, new vaccines or bivalent vaccines, where two different strains are joined together in the one vaccine.
"And that now can be done at pace so that we can keep up with these variants should they prove to be difficult to prevent with the vaccine that we have at the moment.
"We've seen for the UK that the UK variant can be successfully prevented with this vaccine, which is great.
"Yes, the South African variant is more difficult and hopefully there will not be more variants but we may expect to see some as time goes on."
Wales: Lockdown extended for three more weeks
First minister Mark Drakeford will confirm today that the lockdown in Wales will remain in force for another three weeks.
According to the Welsh government, the Covid-19 situation is “improving” but Level 4 restrictions are still necessary to “allow the NHS to recover”.
A statement said: “Rates of coronavirus across Wales have fallen below 200 cases per 100,000 people for the first time since early November.
"And every day, thousands more people receive their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine - the latest figures show almost 11 per cent of the population have been vaccinated."
The restrictions will be reviewed every 21 days.
Tony Blair: ‘Virus anywhere is virus everywhere’
Former prime minister Tony Blair has called on governments to work together and create global capacity to develop and distribute vaccines within weeks.
Writing in The Independent, Mr Blair warned that Covid-19 has so far been “smarter and swifter than us” and said a “completely new approach” was needed if we were to stay ahead of the disease.
Read his op-ed below:
Tony Blair: This is not even the end of the beginning – we need a completely new approach to Covid-19
Virus anywhere is virus everywhere – taking global action therefore ceases to be only a matter of altruistic engagement and becomes one of enlightened self-interest
UK bans flights from UAE
Dubai, one of the most popular destinations for British travellers, has been placed on the UK’s coronavirus travel “red list”, which means all direct passenger flights have been banned from the country.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps announced on Thursday that the UAE, as well as Rwanda and Burundi, have joined 30 existing countries which are currently subject to a travel ban in an effort to limit the spread of new coronavirus variants.
Our Travel Correspondent Simon Calder has the details:
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