I wonder if UVDL is now going to sue Pfizer for breaching their contract? 
Apparently this shortage has been a major factor behind the UK’s delay in releasing the lockdown. Why they could not say this openly, I don’t know, but obviously everybody everywhere is trying hard to not p1ss off whichever company (or country – India comes to mind) is selling them vaccines.
Just heard on the news that the UK is considering allowing travel without a return quarantine for 2x vaccinated people. That would be a stunningly brilliant and technically perfectly good move, but politically a hot potato. I hope they have the balls to do it. The current regime is horrible: even for a green country (no return quarantine) you are looking at £140/person for tests (cheapest I know of) and for an amber one it is £240/person for a 10 day quarantine or £340/person (just done that one) for a 5 day quarantine. And the pre-return test is horrible because it basically doesn’t work in many cases (I would not have got back from Croatia if I was not flying GA).
Peter wrote:
Are other countries seeing the same slowdown on Pfizer?
for Estonia it seems to be OK so far- yesterday they opened vaccinations for < 18 and I got the time for my son for coming saturday…
Croatia also seems to be doing good but obviously it’s easier with smaller countries plus. We’re approaching one half of population that get at least one jab and one quarter fully vaccinated. Unfortunately it seems that interest for vaccination is getting lower. My children (23 and 22) got 1st Pfizer jab few weeks ago and will get 2nd one in following days.
Rwy20 wrote:
Haven’t heard the same in Switzerland (yet?).
I had Pfizer shots. My wife got moderna, as they then said there was no Pfizer available for 1st vaccinations. There is plenty of Moderna though, according to the BAG enough to complete the campaign without any shortages.
It appears though that people who are not yet vaccined may well not bother…. some centers report a total lackluster response to new dates being proposed.
Peter wrote:
Are other countries seeing the same slowdown on Pfizer?
Nothing in the media about it here. But Ireland did take up it’s full allocation of Pfizer, which I understand not all EU countries did.
Peter wrote:
I wonder if UVDL is now going to sue Pfizer for breaching their contract?
Unlikely. As I understand it Pfizer has already delivered its contracted amounts, and is currently attempting to deliver it’s Q3 & Q4 contracted amounts in Q2. So even if there is a slowdown, they are ahead of what they promised. Unlike AZ who is still trying to catch up to their contracted amounts.
The number of jabs given in the UK each day is certainly coming down slightly and has been for the past week or two.
It could be a supply issue, or equally plausibly it could be that they’ve now reached a point where fewer people are coming forward. Bookings are now open to all adults, and with the younger ones you are to a greater extent dealing with (a) anti-vaxxers, (b) people who, rightly or wrongly, believe that their own risk does not warrant vaccination, (c) people who aren’t that fussed about it and don’t prioritise booking a jab, and (d) people who don’t have the flexibility in their work necessary to go for a jab next Tuesday at 11am.
The increasing ‘come and get your jab’ messaging we are seeing supports this hypothesis.
Peter wrote:
Just heard on the news that the UK is considering allowing travel without a return quarantine for 2x vaccinated people.
The Isle of Man has just done it (it comes into force later this month). Fully vaxxed people won’t even need a test. Residents only at this time (as it’s easy to verify a resident is fully vaxxed, not so much for others).
The ultimate coronavirus spread defence – said to be from Belgium
Before this turns into an Urban legend;
https://www.triennalebrugge.be/en/installation/nadia-kaabi-linke/
It’s art people.
alioth wrote:
as it’s easy to verify a resident is fully vaxxed, not so much for others
… which is, at least for UK residents, nonsense, but that’s bureaucrats and politicians for you. The NHS App provides a reasonably verifiable vaccination record. As I understand it, something similar now exists for the EU (or will shortly)
Before this turns into an Urban legend;
The guy who said I could post it told me it was real Good to know it is just a joke!
The NHS App provides a reasonably verifiable vaccination record. As I understand it, something similar now exists for the EU (or will shortly)
Yes and yes (I have seen the EU one).
The UK delays on this are 100% political (solidarity/equality/envy/etc).
Mandatory vacc is such an obvious thing too for many workers. Even making care home staff mandatory-vacc is “controversial” (only ~40k died there!). There are areas where the UK is just too soft. And if you did it for the whole country, the crisis would be done and finished in a few months (if you could get the vaccine). Instead we have 1.5 years and ~300BN. And the 300BN will be paid off by the very people who are demanding solidarity/equality/etc.
