Australia s Prime Minister Scott Morrison (Image: GETTY)
But it would appear this alliance did not deliver on its aspirations, as so far it has only administered 7.6 jabs per 100 people, a huge gap when compared with rivals the UK (31.2 people) and the US (24.3).
The nations vow to help finance research into the vaccines also appeared unclear, particularly when compared with the likes of Britain and the US.
According to a report by scientific data company Airfinity, the UK spent £25 per person on early COVID-19 research, committing around £1.67billion to vaccines before knowing their effectiveness.
The US offered £7.9billion, at a rate of £24.02 per person, while the EU lagged behind again, spending just £3.51 per citizen, with an investment of £1.57billion.
There was a Franco-German initiative which invited the Netherlands and Italy to join their buyers’ club. On June 13, the quartet known as the “Inclusive Vaccine Alliance” announced a deal for between 300 million and 400 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab. The Alliance said it would talk to the Commission about working together “where possible” and that other countries could join in but “the four countries just realized at one point, there s no time to wait until everyone is on board,” said one senior EU diplomat from an alliance country. “Let s just give it a push; let s just start right now.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has conceded that individual countries could have vaccinated their populations quicker had they acted alone rather than relying on the EU’s collective vaccine purchase and distribution program. She has effectively acknowledged that her vaccine procurement program violated a fundamental principle of the European Union’s
The leaders of the European Union are on the defensive.
More than a year into the pandemic, only 3% of people living in the EU have received a dose of Covid-19 vaccine, compared to more than 15% in the UK and 10% in the US. And as pharmaceutical firms increasingly face production delays that are leading to shortages around the world, critics are blaming the 27-country bloc‘s experiment in collective bargaining for its slow and controversial vaccine rollout.
Five weeks ago, when vaccinations began in the EU, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen called this crisis “Europe’s moment.” This week, she had to defend the EU-wide effort to jointly negotiate and procure vaccines before an unhappy European Parliament. She’s not alone: French president Emmanuel Macron said his country’s rollout “is going at the pace that was planned,” even though it “may seem too slow,” and German chancellor Angela Merkel was asked to apologize to Germans who have been clamor
| UPDATED: 14:41, Mon, Feb 1, 2021
Link copied Sign up for our columnists plus the most commented stories driving conversation
SUBSCRIBE Invalid email
When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters.
Sometimes they ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer.
Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights.
You can unsubscribe at any time.
Brussels received widespread condemnation after triggering an emergency clause in the Brexit deal which would slow down the exportation of vaccine supplies to Northern Ireland. Although the bloc backed down within hours and reversed its decision, those in both Northern Ireland and its EU neighbour, the Republic of Ireland, were horrified by the move. Northern Ireland’s First Minister Arlene Foster said the bloc had committed a “hostile and aggressive act”, while the Republic’s Government spokesperson said the Taoiseach was in