BUNGLING Brussels has been hit by a fresh vaccine backlash after boasting they have jabbed more people than Africa.
Top Eurocrat Martin Selmayr was ridiculed for bragging the EU is doing better than the poorest parts of the world.
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Romanian MEP Cristian Terhes said: “We should be glad he did not compare us with Antarctica.”
Meanwhile EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accepted AstraZeneca will not divert jabs from Britain.
The Commission chief also rowed back from threats to stop Pfizer doses reaching the UK.
In a phone call her and Boris Johnson “reassured” each other they won’t block shipments across the Channel, an EU spokesman said.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock is “confident” there will be enough vaccine for all second doses.
But France risked reigniting tensions immediately by claiming the UK is taking “lots of risks” with its vaccine rollout.
Mr Selmayr argued the EU is doing well because it has jabbed 12 million people whereas “in Africa only 20,000 people have been vaccinated so far”.
The top official, who is based in Vienna, tried to row back after the message sparked a storm of controversy.
He said: “Those who complain that there are not enough vaccines in the EU yet should realise that other parts of the world are far less well off.
“Some humility and more solidarity would be appropriate.”
The EU Parliament’s three biggest groups are drawing up plans to haul the chief eurocrat before MEPs to explain the bloc’s shambolic rollout.
Britain has administered almost 9.5 million jabs to date – that’s 14.17 doses per 100 people.
In contrast France is lagging way behind, rolling out just 1.5 million vaccines at a rate of only 2.3.
The EU as a whole has delivered 12.3 million jabs to 2.76 people in every hundred.
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Did you miss our previous article…
https://www.hellofaread.com/politics/covid-lockdown-may-be-lifted-in-all-of-england-at-same-time-with-schools-open-first-and-more-adults-allowed-to-meet-up/
