Boris Johnson teams up with Angela Merkel to head off EU Covid vaccine war
BORIS Johnson and Angela Merkel last night teamed up against Brussels to head off a vaccine war — despite a fresh gaffe where the PM boasted greed got Britain the jab first.
The Prime Minister suggested he wants to reach a compromise with European countries — as Germany’s leader ruled out totally blocking British supplies.
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But Mrs Merkel is backing a targeted block on AstraZeneca jabs earmarked for Britain.
Hours later the PM risked inflaming the EU vaccines war by telling Tory MPs in a private Zoom address “it was greed, my friends” which helped Britain get the jab first.
He was hailing the efforts of “big pharma” in manufacturing the life-saving jab in lightning-quick time.
He later added: “Actually, I regret saying it.”
Boris has spent days pleading with European leaders to abandon their jab export ban threat.
The PM told the No 10 press conference last night: “We don't believe in blockades of any kind of vaccines.”
Daily UK Covid deaths have halved in a fortnight, with another 112 reported.
Another 5,379 tested positive, down from 5,766 two weeks ago.
And 28,327,873 first jabs have been given, with 2,363,684 second doses.
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