The UK are rolling out the vaccine from next week. Why are the EU not doing the same?
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The UK have probably pushed it through quickly because of Brexit.
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it is routinely quicker to get approval from the MHRP than it is from the CHMP, as I explained yesterday.
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If the EU approves 3 or 4 weeks later, would that change your attitude towards the vaccine significantly?
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Yes, it will be considered safe until shown to be otherwise.
Employers will be expected to be more flexible in response to employees refusing a test than I’ve bluntly set out above and each situation will have to be assessed on its own merits.
For example an obvious issue is if the employee refusing is or is able to undertake their duties in such a way as to not expose colleagues to increased risk. An employer will be obliged to consider if adjustments can reasonably be made to allow the refusing employee to continue to discharge their duties without putting colleagues at risk. Alternatively redeploying someone to such a role should also be considered.
This will be particularly relevant where there are colleagues who may be immuno-compromised or who, for legitimate reasons, are unable to take the vaccine. There is also a potentially extended duty of care placed on employers where at risk individuals are not employees but are those whom the employee lives with.
These issues can be especially difficult to navigate. But my view is that where the vaccine has been approved for use by the appropriate bodies, and there is no evidence that it is unsafe, an employee who cannot be isolated from other employees and who refuses to be vaccinated without good reason could lawfully be dismissed.
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Why don’t they just take their word for it, not like the UK haven’t done their homework on it.
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I wouldn’t be rushing out for it.
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Because the EU is [far too cumbersome and slow/more careful to ensure it doesn’t jeopardise the health of its citizens]*.
*Delete as appropriate (because I certainly will later on ;))
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Could they continue with the current mask wearing, hand washing etc as a counter arguement.
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I’m just interested where a threshold for satisfying data would be, time and/or number of people who have gotten it?
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I’ll gladly take the chance before I allow the rest of the family to do so. But yes time and numbers, although more on the time front.
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Possibly but I think it unlikely. Employers will certainly prefer the government/HSE to set out some guidelines though rather than be having to say for themselves what they’ll consider sufficient! In turn, the government will probably say that it is for the assessment of each individual employer!
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Have we not already considered mask wearing and handwashing sufficient? or do we just think getting a jab will be easier?
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Is the vaccination (wherever it’s been introduced) free of cost?
Also, what is the roll-out plan?
If that was sufficient infection rates would have fallen without the need to lock down parts of the economy. If we want to get the economy going again a working vaccine (with high take up) is essential.
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Just listening to BBC radio in the car (so take with a pinch of Right Wing salt) but they were saying on there that the MHRA have actually been looking at this for months. They have been drip fed information from PFizer and co. at every stage in the vaccine’s development meaning that the final decision was able to be done in quick time.
Now how the MHRA in the UK was able to do this faster than say Germany, I cannot say. I certainly welcome that news but it feels typically unBritish to be get something approved before anywhere else can.
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I expect it will be in most places - even in the US, where very little healthcare is made free to the general public, vaccines are expected to be no charge. Certainly will be free here in Canada…whenever it actually happens. We seem to have a lot of people who think ‘lots’ is an answer to ‘when?’
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That is typically the way approvals like this have worked within the EU. I haven’t looked how Brexit is changing the UK’s role in this, but presumably what is referred to as Mutual Recognition will no longer be granted EU wide for MHRP approvals.
Two additional caveats are I think Emergency Use Authorizations don’t have reciprocity, and so have to be approved in each country. I’m also pretty sure there is no mutual recognition pathway available for vaccines to be given full approval so the CHMP would ordinarily be less willing to accept the word of the MHRP because there isn’t the standard pathway for doing that.
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Hmm, I can see the big pharma breaking all records in profitability… Let’s face it, discriminating people who don’t want to get it is the equivalent of mandatory vaccination. So, they’ll have a captive ‘customership’. It can’t really come better than that for them. A big pharma’s wet dream… potentially 7.8 billion people to vaccinate.
The best for them and their shareholders: the vaccine will only be ‘efficient’ for three months or so. Then it will have to be taken again, and again and again, until we reach a hypothetical and perhaps never to be reached point at which the virus might be eradicated.
In the meantime, everyone will have to wear masks anyway, because y’ know, the announced 95% efficiency was a bit optimistic after all…
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Somewhat ironically quicker to control borders though. 
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