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Not every country has the capacity and ability to manufacture everything locally. With increased globalisation we're also seeing countries specializing in certa

Not every country has the capacity and ability to manufacture everything locally. With increased globalisation we're also seeing countries specializing in certain industries. Generally it was understood that most western countries would not abuse this dependency for their own benefit, as they all were counter-dependent on each other. Obviously, as so often, the US and UK didn't get that memo.

makomk 6y ago
Most reasonably large developed countries probably have the capacity if they care enough - for example, I don't think the UK was particularly well-equipped to do local vaccine manufacturing, most of the pharmaceutical industry here buggered off to other countries long ago along with the other manufacturing, but the government cared enough (and distrusted the US enough) to insist on local production anyway.
- arcticbull 6y ago
  Yup, Canada privatized Connought labs under Mulroney in the 80s. I think with a population of 38M and a private sector not particularly equipped to provide this service, revisiting a Crown Corporation might not be a bad path forward. [1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connaught_Laboratories https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connaught_Laboratories
TMWNN 6y ago
>Obviously, as so often, the US and UK didn't get that memo. There is and has never been a US vaccine export ban, and the US has not seized vaccines meant for other countries. The Trump administration last year signed gigantic contracts for every planned vaccine, because no one knew which ones would work. Like, enough for every American from one manufacturer, let alone the current four major available ones. More importantly, the contracts guaranteed the US the earliest deliveries. The UK signed a similar contract for the AstraZeneca vaccine. The EU and Canada did not assure themselves of such quantities. Canada also bet on CanSino because it was afraid that the US would ban vaccine exports (which, again, never happened). Of course, the Chinese did not live up to the contract. Before you say "But what about—", the Trump executive order from December 2020 merely sets up the legal framework to prohibit exports if desired. But that does not mean that the framework is invoked. Let me repeat: The US signed contracts that were a) huge in size/scope and b) from every pharmaceutical company working on a vaccine, which c) got the country the largest and among the first deliveries. The UK did the same thing with the AstraZeneca vaccine, and spent a lot of money to retool domestic plants to produce it. If the situation were different, might the US have implemented a ban on exports, similar to what the EU did implement recently? Perhaps. But, fortunately, the US never faced this issue, because of the huge amounts of money it invested a year ago and the contracts it signed with said money.
- 908B64B197 6y ago
  Then why do we keep hearing about this "export ban"? Who would benefit from spreading this misinformation?
  - ericmay 6y ago
    People who want to make America look bad, and drive wedges between America and allies. These social media disinformation campaigns have been going on for a long time. Who benefits? China, Russia, etc. Why spend time questioning why China is not being as cooperative as they should with the origin and other important details of the virus when they can make Germans hate Brits and Canadians hate Americans over vaccine exports?
- tzs 6y ago
  EU did a 300 m dose purchase agreement with Pfizer with a big up front down payment at about the same time the US and UK deals were being made.
  - 0xfaded 6y ago
    The EU also spent the most time negotiating down prices. It's not surprising we're last in line.

makomk 6y ago

Most reasonably large developed countries probably have the capacity if they care enough - for example, I don't think the UK was particularly well-equipped to do local vaccine manufacturing, most of the pharmaceutical industry here buggered off to other countries long ago along with the other manufacturing, but the government cared enough (and distrusted the US enough) to insist on local production anyway.

arcticbull 6y ago
Yup, Canada privatized Connought labs under Mulroney in the 80s. I think with a population of 38M and a private sector not particularly equipped to provide this service, revisiting a Crown Corporation might not be a bad path forward. [1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connaught_Laboratories https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connaught_Laboratories

TMWNN 6y ago

>Obviously, as so often, the US and UK didn't get that memo. There is and has never been a US vaccine export ban, and the US has not seized vaccines meant for other countries. The Trump administration last year signed gigantic contracts for every planned vaccine, because no one knew which ones would work. Like, enough for every American from one manufacturer, let alone the current four major available ones. More importantly, the contracts guaranteed the US the earliest deliveries. The UK signed a similar contract for the AstraZeneca vaccine. The EU and Canada did not assure themselves of such quantities. Canada also bet on CanSino because it was afraid that the US would ban vaccine exports (which, again, never happened). Of course, the Chinese did not live up to the contract. Before you say "But what about—", the Trump executive order from December 2020 merely sets up the legal framework to prohibit exports if desired. But that does not mean that the framework is invoked. Let me repeat: The US signed contracts that were a) huge in size/scope and b) from every pharmaceutical company working on a vaccine, which c) got the country the largest and among the first deliveries. The UK did the same thing with the AstraZeneca vaccine, and spent a lot of money to retool domestic plants to produce it. If the situation were different, might the US have implemented a ban on exports, similar to what the EU did implement recently? Perhaps. But, fortunately, the US never faced this issue, because of the huge amounts of money it invested a year ago and the contracts it signed with said money.

908B64B197 6y ago
Then why do we keep hearing about this "export ban"? Who would benefit from spreading this misinformation?
- ericmay 6y ago
  People who want to make America look bad, and drive wedges between America and allies. These social media disinformation campaigns have been going on for a long time. Who benefits? China, Russia, etc. Why spend time questioning why China is not being as cooperative as they should with the origin and other important details of the virus when they can make Germans hate Brits and Canadians hate Americans over vaccine exports?
tzs 6y ago
EU did a 300 m dose purchase agreement with Pfizer with a big up front down payment at about the same time the US and UK deals were being made.
- 0xfaded 6y ago
  The EU also spent the most time negotiating down prices. It's not surprising we're last in line.