No-deal Brexit could force the army to airlift Covid-19 vaccine to UK
A government minister has suggested that in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the Armed Forces may be required to airlift the Covid-19 vaccine from Belgium.
Tory minister James Cleverly confirmed that the government is looking at the possibility of using ”non-commercial flights” to make sure the Pfizer vaccine can still be delivered to the UK in the event of a no-deal scenario.
“This is such an important product, perhaps the most important product, so we will look to ensure that those supplies are available in the UK. In whatever circumstance,” Cleverly told BBC Breakfast earlier today.
Cleverly said that in the event of no-trade agreement, there would be no substantial delays in transporting the Pfizer vaccine from Belgium to the UK.
He replied: “Well, the vaccine is the top priority product in terms of bringing anything into the UK.”
Smooth transportation will play a critical role in the UK’s most extensive vaccination programme ever, with administration of the vaccine starting tomorrow.
It comes following significant concerns over a transport ”catastrophe” at the British boarders if UK-EU negotiators are unable to secure a trade agreement.
However, Brexit talks are currently positioned on a knife’s edge, with Boris Johnson holding crunch talks with european commission president Ursula von der Leyen later tonight.