UK considers giving millions of vaccines to Ireland
The UK is reportedly planning on giving millions of Covid-19 vaccines to Ireland in a bid to stave off a third wave in Northern Ireland.
The government is reportedly concerned Northern Ireland could see a surge in Covid cases when travel restrictions are lifted as Ireland has only vaccinated around 10 per cent of its population.
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove and Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis have outlined the plans, according to the Sunday Times.
The move would likely inflame tensions between the UK and EU, with one cabinet minister saying the plan would be “poke in the eye for Brussels” as it tries to maintain unity in the face of slow vaccine rollouts.
Culture secretary Oliver Dowden told Sky News today that the government’s “first priority” was delivering vaccines in the UK, but did not deny any plan to send jabs to Ireland.
“We don’t currently have a surplus of vaccines, if we get to the point where we have a surplus of vaccines we’d make decisions on the allocation of that surplus,” he said.
A cabinet source told the Sunday Times said giving vaccines to Ireland was “good politics while at the same time solving a genuine public health concern in Northern Ireland”.
“It is a balancing act, making sure that we have enough vaccines to give the UK’s adult population the second dose,” they said.
“Easter will be when we might be able to start offering vaccines to Ireland.”
Boris Johnson warned yesterday that the UK was at risk of being affected by a third wave of Covid infections that is raging across Europe, saying the “bitter experience” showed it could hit the UK “three weeks later”.