Covid news: Gove says EU recognises mistakes over NI row as vaccines ‘already slowing spread’ of virus
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Your support makes all the difference.Cabinet office minister Michael Gove has said the European Union recognises it made a mistake over Northern Ireland in a row with the UK over coronavirus vaccine supplies.
On Friday, the EU backtracked on a threat to trigger a Brexit deal clause to stop the unimpeded flow of coronavirus vaccines into Northern Ireland.
In an act that blindsided the UK and Ireland, the EU invoked Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol, allowing it to override parts of the deal under which trade from the EU into Northern Ireland is unrestricted.
A U-turn came late on Friday night after the threat was met with fierce backlash from Boris Johnson, the Irish government and even the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The vaccine row was prompted by delays to the EU supply of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
Meanwhile, the UK’s mass vaccination rollout already appears to be having an easing effect on the Covid crisis, according to data.
Research due to be published in days is set to provide evidence that Britons are receiving some protection from the virus, The Times reported.
WHO urges UK to share jabs after vulnerable are vaccinated
In other vaccine news, the World Health Organisation has urged the UK to pause its vaccination programme once vulnerable groups have received their jabs to help ensure the global rollout is fair.
When asked to clarify whether the UK should help efforts elsewhere instead of continuing with less vulnerable members of the population after vaccinating its top nine priority groups, WHO spokeswoman Margaret Harris said: “We're asking all countries in those circumstances to do that: 'hang on, wait for those other groups'.
“We'll also appeal to all the people of the UK - you can wait."
"We're asking countries, once you've got those (high risk and health care worker) groups, please ensure that the supply you've got access to is provided for others," she told BBC Breakfast on Saturday.
PA
Vaccine wars
The rollout of Covid-19 vaccines across the world was meant to alleviate the effects of a devastating pandemic and set the world back on a course toward normalcy, Borzou Daragahi writes.
But so far, at least, it’s spawned one crisis after another.
Read our international correspondent’s report about rows over vaccines here:
Vaccine wars: The scramble for a pandemic panacea descends into chaos
The scramble to administer vaccines was meant to signal a turning point in the fight against the coronavirus, but has exposed global political tensions, reports Borzou Daragahi
Boris Johnson’s letter to parents
In other news, Boris Johnson has written an open letter to the nation’s parents telling them they are doing a great job during lockdown and saying his government is doing all it can to help them.
Kate Devlin, our Whitehall editor, reports:
Boris Johnson tells parents they are doing a great job during lockdown - and he is doing all he can to help
Days after announcement schools in England will not open until March
‘You can wait’
The World Health Organisation has urged the UK to halt its mass vaccination drive once vulnerable groups are protected from coronavirus in order to ensure the global rollout is fair.
Ensuring that vaccines are equitably distributed across the world is “clearly morally the right thing to do”, said WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris.
Andy Gregory reports:
WHO urges UK to pause Covid vaccinations after vulnerable protected to boost global rollout
UN agency to ask wealthy nations to make sure 'the supply you've got access to is provided for others’
AstraZeneca and EU vaccine row
The EU moved to restrict vaccine supply to Northern Ireland amid an ongoing row with manufacturer AstraZeneca over the suppy of its jabs.
Here is a recap of what has been going on:
AstraZeneca EU vaccine row explained
EU demands jabs be sent from British plants to make up for supply shortfall
Recap: What sparked off the vaccine row
The row with Northern Ireland was sparked after the EU said it would place export controls on vaccines made in the bloc, amid a bitter row over the delivery of the Oxford-Astrazeneca jab into the continent.
Under the act member states would be able to block the export of vaccines made in their provinces - including supplies of the Pfizer/Biontech jab which is produced in Belgium:
European Commission introduces vaccine export controls amid AstraZeneca supplies dispute
Power to restrict jabs leaving continent introduced as bloc rows with Astrazeneca over vaccine supply chain
The UK is one of the few trading partners the bloc has not listed as exempt from the act. Concerns were raised over how this would affect Northern Ireland, which is treated as part of the EU customs union under the Brexit divorce deal:
Vaccine stand-off intensifies as EU takes on powers to block exports
London ‘considering next steps’ as Northern Ireland excluded from exemption list
The EU moved to temporarily place export controls on the movement of vaccines into the territory by invoking Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
This would have helped the EU protect supplies and prevent exports from Europe entering Northern Ireland as a backdoor route into Britain.
The EU has since backtracked on this move following outcry:
EU withdraws Northern Ireland threat in vaccines row
U-turn follows furious backlash in London and Dublin
Matt Hancock has spoken to his counterpart in Northern Ireland, Robin Swann, over the supply of coronavirus vaccines after the EU imposed export controls.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: "The health secretary and minister of health for Northern Ireland had a constructive discussion on the supply of Covid-19 vaccines."
Mr Swann also tweeted about the conversation:
Macron accused of ‘demand management’ over vaccine comments
French president Emmanuel Macron has been accused of trying to reduce demand for the AstraZeneca vaccine to deal with supply shortfalls in the EU by questioning its effectiveness for older individuals.
Sir John Bell, a professor who was part of the Oxford University team that developed the coronavirus jab, disputed Mr Macron's claims the AstraZeneca vaccine is "quasi-ineffective" for the over-65s.
"I'm not sure where he got that from", Sir John said.
“There's really persuasive evidence that this is a protective vaccine in those populations,” he added.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Sir John added: "I suspect this is a bit of demand management from Mr Macron."
Pressed if he thinks Mr Macron is trying to reduce demand, Sir John said: "Well, if he didn't have any vaccine the best thing you could do is reduce demand."
Read more about the French president’s claims here:
Macron claims Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid vaccine ‘quasi-ineffective’ for older people
French president criticises UK’s rollout strategy amid row over EU delay
Man charged after suspicious package sent to vaccine factory
In other news, a man has been charged after a suspicious package was sent to a factory in Wales that produces AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine resulting in a temporary suspension of manufacturing.
Boris Johnson and Article 16
While the EU has faced backlash over using emergency Brexit measures to restrict exports of vaccines to Northern Ireland, social media users have been reminded of Boris Johnson’s comments in parliament earlier this month.
The UK prime minister said he would have “no hesitation” invoking Article 16 of the Northern Irish Protocol, which allows Britain or the EU to take unilateral action if there is an unexpected negative effect arising from the agreement, if faced with “disproportionate” problems.
Criticism of the European Union is mounting for invoking the article in a vaccine row to restrict supply to Northern Ireland, despite now having backtracked on the move.
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