Amid a fierce inter-channel dispute over the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, one of the scientists behind the drug has accused French President Emmanuel Macron of trying to suppress the lawsuit.
On Friday, Macron said the vaccine was “almost ineffective for people over 65, some say they are 60 or older.”
“I’m not sure where he got this from,” John Bell, a professor of medicine at Oxford University, said on BBC Radio 4’s Today program. “I suspect this is a bit of demand management. Mr. Macron, ”he said. “If you didn’t have a vaccine, the best thing you could do is reduce demand.”
EU leaders have reacted this month angrily to AstraZeneca’s announcement that production would be well below initially projected volumes. Macron’s new comments came hours before the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine was approved by the EU regulator for use in all age groups.
Although the European Medicines Agency said there was still not enough evidence to judge its effectiveness in the elderly, they said there was no reason to think the vaccine would not work.
Bell, who oversaw the vaccine development, admitted that the number of elderly people tested “was small, fairly,” but the data “still pointed to a very effective vaccine” in all age groups.
The AstraZeneca vaccine is at the heart of an ongoing supply line between the UK and the EU. On Friday, the EU asked customs authorities to block exports of all vaccines from Saturday without explicit authorization, an announcement that would have initially included exports to Northern Ireland.
This triggered an immediate retreat from the EU and London capitals and a change of direction at night from the European Commission due to the sensitivity of border agreements with Ireland.
EU Brexit chief negotiator Michel Barnier urged calm in the Times in an interview published on Saturday, saying: “I think we must face this crisis responsibly, certainly not in the spirit of deception. or unhealthy competition. “
Want more analysis of POLITICIAN? POLITICIAN Pro is our premium intelligence service for professionals. From financial services to commerce, technology, cybersecurity and more, Pro offers real-time intelligence, in-depth insight and innovative solutions you need to move forward. e-mail [email protected] to request a free trial.