International Trade Secretary Liz Truss has said it is too early to talk about the UK giving excess coronavirus vaccine doses to other countries and “we first need to make sure our population is vaccinated”.
Ms Truss told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge programme: “It’s a bit too early to say how we would deploy excess vaccines.”
“We certainly want to work with friends and neighbours, we want to work with developing countries, because we are only going to solve this issue once everybody in the world is vaccinated.”
“We’re also working to keep trade flowing, which is really important, keep tariffs low or eliminated on medical goods and supplies so that we can make sure that all the world benefits from the expertise here in the United Kingdom.
She continued “It won’t benefit people in Britain if we become a vaccinated island and many other countries don’t have the vaccine, because the virus will continue to spread, so we need to tackle this on a global basis.”
Could the UK give vaccine supplies to EU countries?
International Trade Secretary Liz Truss tells #Ridge it is “too early to say” how specific vaccines are deployed but says the UK wants to work with “friends and neighbours”https://t.co/4iXxdYl1Qw pic.twitter.com/hTr4m2hUOE
— Sophy Ridge on Sunday (@RidgeOnSunday) January 31, 2021
She also insisted the government was committed to its plan to vaccinate every adult by the autumn and confirmed that the government was “on track” to meet its target to vaccinate everyone in care homes by the end of today.
