Boris Johnson has warned that the UK will be affected by a third wave of Covid-19 in Europe, as he tried to play down fears of a vaccine trade war with the EU.
The Prime Minister said that he expects the latest outbreak on the continent, which had to fresh restriction in countries including France and Germany, to “wash up on our shores as well”.
He said his government still planned to “bash on” with the road map out of lockdown already set out, and stressed the need for international co-operation on vaccines.
It comes after the EU threatened to block jab exports to the UK amid accusations that pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca was not fulfilling its contractual obligations to supply the bloc.
Mr Johnson is expected to call EU leaders this week and urge them to dismiss the proposal.
On Monday, a US trial of the AstraZeneca vaccine found that the jab was 100 per cent effective at preventing serious cases of Covid.
