The bloc should hold its nerve and focus on domestic production rather than risk sparking tit-for-tat retaliation
When the European Union launched its vaccination campaign three months ago, all 27 member countries officially began on the same day, a move designed to showcase their unity as they fought back against Covid-19. That gesture of confident camaraderie now feels quaint as EU countries tie themselves in knots over a bungled vaccine rollout. Each week seems to bring a new setback in the jab plans, with delivery delays, safety scares and flubbed administration all combining to slow down the EU’s overall programme.
Vaccination rates across the EU are a fraction of those in Britain, and way behind where the bloc had hoped to be at this stage. The EU has jabbed just 13 out of 100 people while Britain’s equivalent figure is 45, and the US is on 38. The European commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, still says that 70% of adults can be fully vaccinated by the end of summer, but at this pace it will be well into 2022 when the EU reaches its target.
