Feest Isolation Days –26 March 2021
This week we discovered that many of the people who live in countries in the EU don’t really want the UK developed Astra Zeneca jabs. Vaccination centres are not filled to the brim with people waiting to receive the AZ vaccine. In too many EU countries vaccines are sitting in fridges instead of being pushed into people’s arms. Despite test after test clearing the Astra Zeneca vaccine for use, some European countries are refusing to use it. Yet, they don’t seem to want us to have it in the UK either!
Sir John Bell, a member of the UK Government’s vaccine taskforce when asked about the French approach to the AZ vaccine said, ‘It doesn’t make any sense – the whole thing looks completely crackers. They are changing the rules almost every week.” They don’t seem to be guided by the science. There is a huge amount of data available, and visible evidence of the effectiveness of the vaccine here. Nearly half of over 18s in the UK have received their first dose of the vaccination since December. Nearly 29 million people! Here, the death rate, hospital rate and case rates are dropping rapidly. Yet recent figures show just 12.9 doses of vaccine have been administered per 100 people in the EU compared with 44.7 in the UK and 37.2 in the US.
The UK leads Europe…and yes, last I looked, we were still on the continent of Europe…in vaccinating its population.
Today, the EU are holding a video conference to discuss what to do about exporting vaccines to the UK and elsewhere. Apparently, the vaccines, including the one they don’t seem to want, the one sitting in fridges, may not be shipped to the UK. In EU speak, however, this is not about an export ban. Could it have something to do with the fact that many in the EU are unhappy with the British success? Or politicians diverting attention from their own failures? One does wonder. We wait to see what the outcomes of the latest talks are. We could do with a sensible European Leader on this issue. Perhaps we should send them to watch the dogs….
In Bristol this week the worst riots in over thirty years occurred. A dreadful time for the city. The irony of this is that the protestors were protesting about the right to protest! Crackers again! What started as a peaceful protest turns ugly and those who threw stones and bottles at the police injuring over twenty officers are now being sought via social media.
Here at Chez Feest, we have been tearfully riveted to the documentary, “Football’s Darkest Secret” on BBC. This documentary powerfully details the horrific abuse of young footballers all over the country for many years. We were proud to see Adam Feest appear in the second of the three instalments in his role as QC. It was the first time I had seen Adam since July. More tears.
The pandemic isn’t over yet but we are moving in the right direction.
In the meantime, stay safe!
With love,
Kathy x