The True Story Behind the UK's Successful Vaccine Rollout Exposed

Strategic Insights -

As the UK marked the anniversary of its first lockdown, Prime Minister Boris Johnson gloated about the country's successful vaccine rollout, attributing it to the power of capitalism and greed. However, this warped understanding ignores the role of publicly-funded institutions and the bravery of trial volunteers who risked their health to end the pandemic.

Key Takeaways:

  • The AstraZeneca jab was actually developed by scientists from the University of Oxford, a publicly-funded institution, who initially wanted to make their vaccine patent-free.
  • Tens of thousands of trial volunteers risked their health to participate in vaccine trials, not out of greed, but out of a desire to end the pandemic and help their families and communities.
  • The UK's successful vaccine rollout is being managed by the National Health Service (NHS), a world-class public healthcare system that operates outside the logic of the market.
  • Pharmaceutical giants like Pfizer and Moderna have profited from the pandemic, with Pfizer on track to make over $4 billion in clear profit and Moderna executives raking in hundreds of millions of dollars.
  • The secrecy of contracts and greed-driven practices have fueled anger and suspicion in low- and middle-income countries, who will have to wait until 2023 to vaccinate a large enough percentage of their populations.
  • The UK, US, and EU have blocked attempts to temporarily waive patents on Covid-19 vaccines, prioritizing corporate profits over humanitarian needs.
  • The multibillion-pound disaster that is Britain's test and trace system is an example of the consequences of privatizing public services.
  • The incompetence of AstraZeneca's rollout is fueling vaccine skepticism across the world, and the secrecy of its contracts is fostering a vaccine war between the EU and the UK.

Statistics:

  • The UK has acquired several times the doses it needs by bypassing international bodies meant to ensure equitable global allocation.
  • Low- and middle-income countries will have to wait until 2023 to vaccinate a large enough percentage of their populations.
  • Pfizer is on track to make over $4 billion in clear profit this year.
  • Moderna executives are raking in hundreds of millions of dollars based on the company's rocketing share price.
  • The number of Covid-19 cases and deaths in low- and middle-income countries is increasing due to lack of access to vaccines.

Sources:

  • Nick Dearden, "The True Story Behind the UK's Successful Vaccine Rollout Exposed" Common Dreams
  • [No explicit dates or publication dates provided in the original article]