I have been following, with interest, the issues with a vaccine roll out in Europe that is causing issues over there. It could, and probably will, create an issue here in blighty as well.

People are getting caught up with thinking it is an EU/UK issue and that is why the EU have considered ringfencing some supplies from going abroad. If more attention was paid to the real issue, people might think differently.

Underperforming

AstraZeneca are not performing. They are woefully short of the orders they were telling the EU they could deliver. They initially promised 90-120 million doses at the end of March. They revised this total to 40 million when they realised, they couldn’t deliver.

As of 24^th March they had delivered 17 million, so that’s another 23 million needed before next Wednesday. I don’t know if that will happen, but I doubt it. If AstraZeneca had delivered what they promised, 35% of the EU would have jabs in arms by now. There would be no tension or vaccine envy.

Overpromising

You see, people are trying to attach this crisis of supply to Brexit. Brexit has nothing to do with it. This is not a UK/EU problem, it is a supply issue. It is, as the article below explains, a case of AstraZeneca doing the opposite of what marketing strategists advise. Overpromising and underdelivering.

It’s like me promising my clients five electricians on site on Monday, when I only have one available. I won’t do that because it causes more problems than it is worth trying to deal with. I’d rather be out taking photos than losing clients.

The truth is AstraZeneca have made a cock-up with production levels and it needs sorting out before another summer is wrecked.

   COVID-19: What’s going on with the EU’s vaccine rollout? AstraZeneca accused of ‘playing God’ with people’s lives | World News | Sky News