BRUSSELS (Reuters) – European Union on Wednesday threatened to ban COVID-19 vaccine exports to Britain to safeguard low doses for its own citizens facing a third wave of pandemic that would jeopardize plans to restart travel this summer.
With the number of COVID-related deaths in the EU above 550,000 and inoculated less than a tenth of the bloc’s population, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said the epidemiological situation is getting worse.
“We are in the crisis of the century,” he told reporters.
“We see the crest of a third wave forming in member states and we know we need to accelerate vaccination rates.”
Von der Leyen said the flow of vaccine products was smooth with the United States, but showed frustration at AstraZeneca’s lack of deliveries to Britain. He said 10 million doses had passed from EU plants to the former member state.
“We are still waiting for doses to arrive from the UK,” von der Leyen said in the latest sign of acidity between Britain and the 27-nation bloc since Brexit.
“If this situation does not change, we will have to reflect on how to make exports to vaccine-producing countries dependent on their level of openness. We will reflect on whether exports to countries with higher vaccination rates than us remain proportionate.”
SUMMER TRIP?
He spoke as six EU countries complained in Brussels about reduced deliveries hampering the already problematic inoculation campaign of the bloc fighting amid reduced deliveries by AstraZeneca.
To further complicate the picture, several EU countries, including its largest members, Germany, France and Italy, have this week suspended the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine pending security checks.
The situation threatens the plans announced by the Commission to launch a “green digital certificate” that would collect information on vaccinations, testing and recovery of COVID to let travelers cross borders freely again.
Tourism-dependent southern EU countries and other proponents of the new COVID-19 certificate expect it to win final approvals in June and get online in time during the high season. But countries like France, Belgium and Germany have expressed skepticism.
EU countries will be pressured to agree on a common position quickly for its 450 million people. The task is further complicated by uncertainty about whether inoculates can transmit the virus and by public skepticism about vaccines.
Reports by Gabriela Baczynska, Philip Blenkinsop, Francesco Guarascio, Sabine Siebold, Jan Strupczewski, Foo Yun Chee, Writing by Gabriela Baczynska, Editing by John Chalmers and Andrew Cawthorne