UK was smart to start funding vax research before #Covid19 even hit Europe. But they made a consequential choice by (apparently) making funding conditional to Brits getting doses of any resulting vaccine 1st. Germany
funded BioNTech but did not include any Europe 1st clause.
Meanwhile in March 2020, President Trump tried unsuccessfully to steal BioNTech from Germany to bring it to the US. Despite this warning, apparently nobody in EU thought it might be a bad idea for BioNTech to be partnered with Pfizer, an American company.
That Germany nationality-agnostic approach to pharma partners was not the approach used across the channel in UK. Oxford was originally going to partner with American company Merck. But the UK gov overruled it and made them partner with UK-based AstraZeneca.
With BioNTech-Pfizer partnership secure, Trump seemed to be in no hurry to sign Pfizer purchase contracts. Why? He knew a US vaccine export ban would make a contract unnecessary.
Pfizer has massive production capacity in the US. If US law prevented any of those doses made on US soil from being exported, they would have to go to the US in any event. The result can be seen in the supply chain. United States plants used to supply United States, European Union plants used to supply europe-africa.
Also in December 2020, the UK & US used the emergency use authorisation method to approve Pfizer, while the EU used the more cautious conditional marketing approval method, resulting in EU approving 2-3 weeks later. UK gave emergency use approval to AstraZeneca on 30 December.
When European Union gave conditional marketing approval to AstraZeneca on 29 Jan, the company informed EU it would not be meeting original dosage delivery promise because of production problems in EU plant. Seems doses to be reserved for European Union had gone to United Kingdom The battle between EU & AZ began
The Commission said AZ signed a contract saying it would use all 4 of its production facilities, 2 in UK and 2 in EU, to deliver to EU - so the shortfall should be made up with exports from the UK. AZ's CEO said they couldn't because of a 'UK 1st' clause.
That battle has raged on without resolution. AZ will only deliver 30m out of promised 80m for Q1 and 70m of promised 180m in Q2, EC says. Meanwhile EU has exported 10m (mostly Pfizer) doses to UK, while 'UK 1st' clause stops AZ from meeting EU delivery promise from UK plants.
Across the pond, the US export ban has meant Canada, Mexico& Japan have to get their Pfizer doses from EU plants instead. (European Union has exported 4.6m doses to Canada, 3.8m to Mexico, 4m to Japan) Situation particularly absurd for Flag of Canada, which must get its Pfizer from Belgium instead of next door in Michigan.
Even US has received vaccine exports from EU: 1 million in February, and 3.9 million doses of Johnson & Johnson a few weeks ago according to the NYT. J&J doses made in US can't go to EU.
These export numbers were revealed last week and Europeans were furious. In was in this context President Von Der Leyen said on Wednesday the EU is considering an export ban to vaccine-producing countries who don't reciprocate. Germany, France and Italy are pushing this idea.
EU assumed good behavior. US & UK manoeuvred to benefit themselves. Many EU countries flubbed vaccine rollouts. EU negotiations & approval maybe took too long. But what's striking is, for many in US & UK there seems to be 1 set of rules for them and another for everyone else.
https://twitter.com/DaveKeating/stat...97635577761803