Thread by @jonworth

This UK-got-it-right, EU-got-it-wrong on vaccine supply and rollout line, as espoused by Nick Clegg earlier, is overly simplistic

Here's what Clegg said:
theneweuropean.co.uk/brexit-news/eu…

This thread will attempt a more balanced view

Was the Commission handling vaccine procurement collectively the right thing to do for the EU-27?

*Absolutely*

Because it means a fair distribution of vaccines, regardless of wealth of the Member State or its own supply

Did the European Commission handle that process as well as it could have?

*Probably not*

It might have focused less on price, and more on speed of delivery. Saying that with hindsight is easier

Has the EU (and EMA) got it right on approvals?

*Probably*

There was a couple of weeks between MHRA and EMA approval for AZ, BioNTech and Moderna. EU also has J&J approved, UK does not

What about production?

*Very solid*

Recall that EU has exported 21m doses so far to UK, and UK none to EU - how would UK rollout look without that?

Also related to this, Q2 looks *excellent* in the EU - 200m doses of BioNTech, the vaccine with the most stable production until now. 55m doses of J&J. Production from EU supply chains that exceeds EU needs in Q2

By contrast the UK's situation in Q2 is more rocky. UK is heavily dependent on AZ, and production of that has not scaled so easily. Still reliant on imports for everything else (for now - Novavax might change the situation)

Also the way the Commission, and the Member States (esp 🇳🇱🇪🇸🇩🇪) have handled the J&J issue has been good - there was a danger that'd be limited due to bottling in the USA, but there's now an EU-only supply chain for it. The EU *has learned*

What about rollout?

*Problematic, but problems are being overcome*

What the UK mastered - and the EU's Member States did not - was swift early roll out. The UK was a couple of weeks ahead here. FR, DE vaccinating at a faster rate than UK is now though

So - in short - the UK managed slightly faster approval, and slightly faster roll out, but it has been dependent on imports from the EU and its vaccination rate is now limited by supply constraints in the way the EU's currently is not

Sure, there is room for improvement. But that is not "the EU letting itself down"

/ends