Beware the Populist Pandemic!
Posted on February 26, 2021
I got involved in a twitter conversation about vaccine roll outs today. What seems ridiculous to me is that people (particularly Brexiters) regard it as something of a competition. This is due to the UK at last getting something right during the pandemic as others try to get to grips with the vaccine distribution.
Opting Out
By opting out of the programme whilst still, technically, in the EU, the UK appear to have stolen a march on getting the vaccine roll out into motion. Whether it was dithering or caution, or a bit of both, the EU fell behind targets and have now been hamstrung by Astra Zeneca supply issues.
This may well mean that some EU countries wish they had utilised their sovereignty and decided to go it alone with vaccines. However, even if they had done, it would not have been the way to stop the spread of Covid-19 and the ongoing fear of variants getting ahead of vaccines.
Are people too dim to see that the EU struggling with a vaccine roll-out is nothing worth gloating about in a global village? As someone from Oxfam said the other day, “unless we treat vaccines as a global operation, we may as well forget controlling the pandemic”.
It’s all rather childish claiming that Oxford Astra Zeneca belong to us or treating the pandemic like it was a football match where the UK had beaten the Europrats. It doesn’t help that some MPs’ and sections of the media actively encourage vaccine jingoism as a way of burying other failings and allegations of wholescale pandemic corruption.
Global Effort
The ongoing battle against Covid-19 and its potential to get
ahead of vaccines should be a collaborative global effort, not some sort of
pathetic game of one upmanship. Fortunately, scientists worldwide know this,
and they are working hard to keep one step ahead of the virus.
Politicians need to do the same and stop looking for populist backslapping to
cover up for failings in other areas. Otherwise, we are all stuffed and we will
have to live with more lockdowns and more disruption in the future.
Have a nice weekend.
Karen
February 26, 2021 (8:41 pm)
Say lots ! Don’t judge Europe as a who and remember we are compared to them in deep sh*t in terms of numbers . Pressure to contain it for instant relate to trade more than care for people.
Yes if you were on the Titanic and dressed as a woman to get in a lifeboat that’s not on . But most if not all , the majority did all they could to save themselves and their families. A competition? Or human nature rather than one up man ship .
Blaming it on the selfish , small minded Brexit voters is far too general .
I dislike the actions of Israel, West Bank occupation, treatment of Gaza and so one . But that doesn’t make me anti Semitic.
Pointing out European short comings wow their central bureaucracy v profit not people UK response is less than information. Then generalisation and not your view but this is it ie why …? Gosh .
The Oxford team are amazing but having followed from early days the woman running it feared lack of financial support. Where were the government then ? It’s takes a woman !
Karen
February 26, 2021 (8:59 pm)
Ps what do you mean when you state , that if individual EU states had gone it alone with a faster roll out of vaccine “it would not be enough to control the spread of COVID “ (we all know not enough alone) but then go on to , with your Oxfam quote “ unless we see vaccine roll out as global issue … forget about controlling the global pandemic”?