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The UK seems to be in an enviable place as a third wave of coronavirus infections spreads across Europe. A rapid introduction of vaccines and weeks of blockade to remove what the continent refers to as the “English strain” has seen deaths and hospitalizations plummet.
However, the London government believes that progress could be undermined by any vaccine-resistant and toxic variant. policy line with the European Union for exports that could result in a dose deficit.
The jump Infections at Britain’s gates could now be the first real global test of whether a fast-paced inoculation program is enough to keep a country protected. It will also give an indication of whether it is enough to ensure that there are no setbacks in the reopening of the economy.
After a steady decline, Covid-19 infections across the UK are spreading across the country and are starting to rise among children under 19 after schools reopen this month. There is also the prospect of having to prioritize decline vaccine supplies by giving people dose-by-dose doses after the UK decided to widen the gap between shots. This would mean that the younger population will remain unvaccinated for 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 Vaccine follower. This made Britain stand out for positive reasons after registering the highest number of deaths in Europe due to Covid-19 and a number of false governments.
But the UK is still in an “incredibly risky situation,” he said Susan Michie, a behavioral scientist who is part of the SAGE government’s scientific advisory committee. “We have a partially vaccinated population with high levels of transmission, which means a lot of mutations, variants,” he said. “The more variants, the more likely it is that variants will undermine the vaccination program.”
The third wave in Europe is mainly due to the most contagious strain of the virus in the UK, but 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. United Kingdom. by The Times newspaper.
Any increase in these strains is very worrying because their resistance to vaccines is not yet clear. “When a wave hits our friends,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on March 22nd. “I’m afraid it washes on our shores as well.”
Politically, it’s also a mess. UK and EU officials are in talks on how best to resolve a vaccine-sharing dispute after the bloc tightened export restrictions. This was followed by the temporary suspension of the AstraZeneca Plc vaccine in some countries due to concerns about side effects, which yes undermined public confidence.
Boris Johnson talks to people who had just been vaccinated at St. Thomas Hospital in London on March 19th.
Photographer: Frank Augstein-WPA Pool / Getty Images
The UK government has mainly tried to stay above the fight in public. Johnson has repeatedly said that all countries “fight the same pandemic.” According to one minister, the government does not want to lose the “high moral ground” 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 Britain, especially as the UK faces a significant reduction in supply in April due to a delay in delivery from India and review of a separate batch.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Friday that tensions over the supply of AstraZeneca were partly due to the British vaccination strategy and suggested the UK was blackmailing Europe. “It has been wanted to be massively vaccinated with a first dose and then it is slightly diminished 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 “too committed” because it had deployed so many first doses without securing supplies for second doses. That means the Johnson administration now needs a lot of EU help, the official said.
The UK government says the supply of vaccines remains safe and there is no threat to people receiving their second dose in 12 weeks.
The Modern vaccine will have to be released in a few weeks.
Photographer: Stephen Zenner / Bloomberg
There are also new dams in the pipeline. The Moderna Inc. the vaccine, made in the US, has been approved by the UK regulator and will have to be launched in a few weeks. Novavax Inc. shot, which will take place in the UK, is pending approval.
Having a wide supply of vaccines is vital for vaccinating people under the age of 50, to prevent cases and to prevent new variants from South Africa and Brazil from taking over the UK. Lawrence Young, virologist at Warwick Medical School. He noted an increase in the number of young people hospitalized in Brazil. “That’s a concern and that’s why I don’t think there’s room for complacency.”
Read more: Covid’s next UK challenge could be public complacency
The government, however, is under pressure to reopen the economy and give people some semblance of normalcy this summer. “If pubs, restaurants and the wedding industry don’t work again, people will lose their jobs and people will lose what gives them joy,” said Steve Baker, a senior MP in the party’s Conservative government.
Johnson already admitted this week that vacationing abroad “at the moment seems tough,” again for the travel industry. He will establish travel plans in early April, but in private those within the government are pessimistic.
A UK official warned that if the British were allowed to go abroad this summer, it would be “crazy”. “It’s like,‘ Hello, new variants, come in, ’” the person said.
– With the assistance of Geraldine Amiel