UPDATE: How is Spain’s vaccination campaign going? - Page 3

The key word is "if " but the EU didn't order the right amount ! Maybe if they had ordered more vaccine, then the companies could have been producing more. It's two quite separate things. The EU orders for vaccine and the UK orders for vaccine. No getting away from it the EU messed up. The ironic thing is that a lot of it is manufactured in the EU ! As for making enemies of the EU, I have never considered Germany and France, who run the EU, as either friends or partners ! I'm talking now about Merkel, Macron etc not the people of the countries. No doubt about it, they have benefited Spain but haven't benefited England to any extent. Especially where I came from which is Southern England. I can't recall any benefits from the EU ! 

"No doubt about it, they have benefited Spain but haven't benefited England to any extent. Especially where I came from which is Southern England. I can't recall any benefits from the EU ! "

Whatever side of the debate you sit on you are wrong to claim there were no benefits. Brexiteers may think they were outweighed by disadvantages and they are entitled to that opinion but to deny there were any benefits is disingenuous. I think southern England in particular is now seeing some of the disadvantages of leaving the customs union for instance.

.Paul, if the EU had ordered in advance and invested the money that the UK did in AstraZeneca production facilities then there would have been more production capacity across Europe to make the extra doses needed. There are less AZ doses around because the company geared up for the demand at the time pre-orders were being placed. 

 Several prominent EU politicians then decided to cast doubts on the effectiveness of the AZ vaccine, which did not give any great confidence to AZ that more orders would be forthcoming. EU citizens now (understandably) view the AZ vaccine in a negative way, causing a further drop in demand. The US independently scrutinizes vaccines, doing their own scientific review of a company's safety and efficacy data, before approving any external medicines, The AZ testing is successfully completed and approval is now pending.

   The UK media you mentioned were always likely to make it a "Brexit" issue, imagine the Guardian headlines if the rollout had been successful the other way around. The German media have been highly critical of both the EU and the German government for their poor handling of the vaccination, even they are saying it is a good advert for Brexit.

  Your right we do need to work with all countries including the EU and I am sure that the UK government is doing just that. The fact that a succession of our EU "friend and partners for over 40 years" have chosen to rubbish the vaccine developed in the UK is being ignored at government level, we need them as much as they need us.. I really do hope all EU countries get their vaccination programs up to speed asap, from a personally selfish point of view I hope Spain gets there first so that we can visit our second home again.

Aitch. 

We're going off on one now but the UK has benefitted massively from being in the EU both financially and culturally, that isn't even debatable, studies have shown the financial benefit from membership and even the governments figures show we will be worse off outside the block, the South has benefitted significantly with passporting for the City of London. As for the vaccine producers they couldn't produce at a higher rate than they have already have and they've made that clear on a number of occasions, they're working at full capacity, more for the EU would have meant less for the UK.

As far as the EU are concerned with the AZ vaccine it's a case of having your cake but not eating it.

It's big time then if the City of London had help passporting ! Living in Bournemouth I'm not aware of having anything from the EU on the whole of the South Coast.  At least in Spain, you could see roads built by the EU. 

FYI, went to my salud to register for jab, I have a residence card, as I live here, was told by reception, no I had to have a Ehic/Ghic, as well. Went to apply for up to date Ehic, (GB), was told no longer supplied to people living in Spain, only for holiday makers, had to take up to date S1 to Spanish Social Security office to get free health care inc. Covid jab. I am a pensioner, so hope this helps people here in similar position.

Jean

I have not been able to get back to my Spanish apartment  since returning to UK October .As I was going for my 2nd jab I had a call from my Spanish solicitor to advise me she had been contacted to arrange an appointment for 1st jab.Thanked them,but no thanks. I am over 80 and hold residencia so the authorities are trying, belatedly,to contact those with residencia but I cannot comment on those without.

Stay safe everyone and I hope to get back as soon as it is safe  and practicable.

We were contacted at least 2 months ago by text by our doctor's surgery in England offering us the vaccination. We had to refuse and gave the reason that we were in Spain. The NHS subsequently phoned my husband and I  here separately and offered us the vaccination. We told them the situation and they said there would be a vaccine waiting for us in England ! The rollout has been faultless in England. Also faultless is the care you get during lockdown in England. I am in the vulnerable group and was living in the UK in the first lockdown in March and I was phoned by Bournemouth Council to see if I could get my shopping and medicines without leaving the house. I was because I could get online groceries and the pharmacy delivered. If I couldn't I only had to phone the Council and they had hundreds of volunteers who would do any shopping for me. I could also receive a box of groceries for free every week if I wanted. England had half a million volunteers ! Absolutely marvellous and I salute them all. Of course, it's very different here and I have to go out for shopping. I have to pick a quiet time for the supermarket to minimise the risk. It hasn't been too bad in Aigues with not many cases of Covid but we need the vaccine. Astrazenica is fine for me but we have no choice. 

Here is a brief update on anyone concerned for friends or relatives in the uk on vaccine uptakes. The uk is bounding ahead every day getting people vaccinated,with well over half the population already done,and this month is mainly being second doses.They are 3 days in front of there target to get the whole population finished for July. There maybe a booster jab that may be needed later on. All shops,hospitality,airports etc are online to open for good without any restrictions from then on,which will make the uk ,one of the safest places to go to in the world along with the US,ISRAEL,and AUSTRALIA.Many countries in the EU have been slow to vaccinate and maybe unable to bring in tourists,unless they speed up there vaccine roll out,which we all hope that,that happens.At the minute no one is allowed in to the uk and has to stay in a hotel for 10 days at there own cost of over around £1,500.