Boris Johnson ‘confident’ of vaccine supplies despite EU ‘toings and froings’

Boris Johnson has said he is “very confident” in the security of the UK’s supply of coronavirus vaccines regardless of “the toings and froings” in the European Union.

The Prime Minister said on Sunday we “will continue to take steps to protect” the deliveries in his first public comments since Brussels briefly overrode a part of the Brexit deal on Northern Ireland to impose export controls on jabs.

His comments came after ministers agreed to a “reset” in relations with the EU after the bloc’s widely-criticised move that came as it suffers supply shortages from pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca.

In a video from No 10 filmed on Sunday, Mr Johnson assured a member of the public who raised concerns over whether she will get her follow-up shot of the Belgian-made Pfizer vaccine that “we’re very confident that we will be able to give you your second dose”.

“You will have seen all this stuff in the papers about our friends across the Channel and disputes with them,” the Prime Minister added.

“All I would say is whatever the toings and froings there, we’re very confident in our security of supply.

“We will continue to take steps to protect the UK’s security of supply and also to ensure that we ramp up our own manufacturing.”