London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jul 13, 2025

Boris Johnson denies EU claim Britain has blocked Covid vaccine exports to bloc amid war of words over jabs

Boris Johnson denies EU claim Britain has blocked Covid vaccine exports to bloc amid war of words over jabs

The UK has not blocked Covid-19 vaccines from reaching the EU, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday, in response to Brussels’ claims that Britain had halted such exports due to an ongoing tussle over the shots.
“Let me be clear: we have not blocked the export of a single Covid-19 vaccine or vaccine component,” Johnson told MPs in the UK Parliament.

“We oppose vaccine nationalism in all its forms,” the PM continued, adding that he called on all MPs to reject accusations made by the European Council president, Charles Michel.

In his weekly briefing, published on Tuesday, Michel said he was “shocked” to hear that accusations of “vaccine nationalism” had been levelled at the EU.

“The facts do not lie. The United Kingdom and the United States have imposed an outright ban on the export of vaccines or vaccine components produced on their territory,” his statement read.

On Tuesday, UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab was reported to have written to Michel and summoned a member of the EU’s delegation to the UK to a meeting in Whitehall in response to the comments.

This latest row is part of a wider rift between Brussels and London over vaccine exports to the EU, which has suffered shortages of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca jabs due to production issues.

AstraZeneca, in particular, drew the ire of Brussels after the British-Swedish pharmaceutical company announced in January that it would slash its deliveries to the EU from 80 million doses to 31 million in the first quarter of 2021.

The EU saw the move as AstraZeneca’s failure to honour its contract and took a number of countermeasures, including the introduction of vaccine export controls to limit the number of doses leaving the 27-member bloc.

The new rules require authorisation from member states to export vaccines produced within the bloc to non-EU countries, and were used last week for the first time by Italy to stop 250,000 AstraZeneca doses leaving for Australia.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
×