Coronavirus vaccine news

basilio said:

Interesting insight into COVID vaccine politics today. It seems that a senior Australian businessman asked Kevin Rudd to encourage Pfizer to bring forward supplies of their vaccine.

Well documented story on the ABC News site. Clever effective diplomacy. Instructive to read the letters, the way Rudd managed the situation and the effect of previous Scomo negotiations on the Pfizer management.

Senior business figures turned to former PM Kevin Rudd to intervene in bringing forward Australia's Pfizer vaccine supply ​

7.30
/ By Laura Tingle
Posted 57m ago57 minutes ago
View attachment 127217
A network of senior businessmen contacted former prime minister Kevin Rudd and set up an introduction with Pfizer boss Albert Bourla. (
AAP: Mick Tsikas
)
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The bringing forward of millions of Pfizer vaccine doses last week followed a back channels intervention eight days earlier by a high-powered network which included a senior business figure despairing of the government's failure to secure enough vaccine supplies, and a former prime minister.

Days before Scott Morrison announced earlier Pfizer vaccine supplies, Kevin Rudd met with the Pfizer chairman

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd contacted Pfizer chairman and chief executive Albert Bourla directly at the end of June to see if anything could be done to expedite the delivery of vaccines to Australia.

www.abc.net.au

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Here we go the ABC with a size 14 foot in its mouth as usual, jeez @basilio you have to look past the headlines, way too many are looking for a for something to hate. ?
As I said, all Kev gave us was an extra two years on our working lives, for an increase of $30 to the pension.
Morrison gave an increase of $50 to the dole and you criticise, sometimes you have to be objective, people are becoming tone deaf to the media for a reason.?
Also is there any wonder the ABC always finds itself in the $hit, when they don't substantiate a fairly aggressive article.
But like I said, it doesn't really matter, because it is only a game show to the media, get the headline and worry about the consequences later.
The ABC is becoming a dead man walking IMO. Actively trying to undermine the very people who pay your wages, isn't a good look. ?
Best the get ABC fact check onto it ASAP and give them a shovel, they could well become a regional broadcaster.
Which would be a tragedy.IMO


From the article:
A letter obtained by the ABC revealed Mr Rudd wrote to Prime Minister Scott Morrison to inform him that he had talked with the global head of Pfizer and personally lobbied him to accelerate the deliveries.

Pfizer has released a statement saying all negotiations have been conducted exclusively with the federal government.

"Recent media reports suggesting that any third party or individual has had any role in contractual agreements reached between Pfizer and the Australian government are inaccurate," a Pfizer spokesperson said.

"The only two parties involved in these agreements are Pfizer and the Australian government. "

"The only two parties involved in these agreements are Pfizer and the Australian government. "

Read it slowly SP, not that I am saying Rudd delivered but the fact he was asked to talk to Pfizer is extortionary but nothing to see here keep moving.

sptrawler said:

Here we go the ABC with a size 14 foot in its mouth as usual, jeez @basilio you have to look past the headlines, way too many are looking for a for something to hate. ?
As I said, all Kev gave us was an extra two years on our working lives, for an increase of $30 to the pension.
Morrison gave an increase of $50 to the dole and you criticise, sometimes you have to be objective, people are becoming tone deaf to the media for a reason.?
Also is there any wonder the ABC always finds itself in the $hit, when they don't substantiate a fairly aggressive article.
But like I said, it doesn't really matter, because it is only a game show to the media, get the headline and worry about the consequences later.
The ABC is becoming a dead man walking IMO. Actively trying to undermine the very people who pay your wages, isn't a good look. ?
Best the get ABC fact check onto it ASAP and give them a shovel, they could well become a regional broadcaster.
Which would be a tragedy.IMO

Pfizer insists it only negotiates COVID vaccine supplies with the federal government

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer insists supplies of COVID-19 vaccines were only negotiated with the federal government, despite former prime minister Kevin Rudd lobbying the company’s chairman.

www.abc.net.au

From the article:
A letter obtained by the ABC revealed Mr Rudd wrote to Prime Minister Scott Morrison to inform him that he had talked with the global head of Pfizer and personally lobbied him to accelerate the deliveries.

Pfizer has released a statement saying all negotiations have been conducted exclusively with the federal government.

"Recent media reports suggesting that any third party or individual has had any role in contractual agreements reached between Pfizer and the Australian government are inaccurate," a Pfizer spokesperson said.

"The only two parties involved in these agreements are Pfizer and the Australian government. "

Click to expand...

A triumph of the totally irrelevant and therefore a sure thing for the media bloodhounds.

So what if Kev had a quiet word with some Pfizer execs, he can't negotiate on behalf of the government.

But the ABC chews on it like a dog with a bone.

More important things going on that they should be covering.

sptrawler said:

one has to wonder why the very small percentage of bad reactions caused such a major public reaction.

Click to expand...

I think it was because the low infection level in Australia caused us to be complacent and many thought they could simply wait until the "best" became available, even if there wasn't a huge difference between them.

SirRumpole said:

A triumph of the totally irrelevant and therefore a sure thing for the media bloodhounds.

So what if Kev had a quiet word with some Pfizer execs, he can't negotiate on behalf of the government.

But the ABC chews on it like a dog with a bone.

More important things going on that they should be covering.

Click to expand...

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: The ABC, The Guardian, Rudd and Turnbull. I wouldn't be in the least surprised if they colluded on this story to deny Morrison the credit for getting the vaccine schedule moved forward. I don't doubt that Rudd made a call, but to give him all the credit is stretching a long bow. And I don't think ScoMo has done a good job of the rollout, even acknowledging some of the early supply problems due to European pressure. But this all smells to me. This is the The ABC and The Guardian involved in activism rather than simply reporting.

The $hit stiring Rudd has done on this is no better exemplified than by Greg Hunt's (please tell me his middle name is Byron ..GBH) sensitivity and Duttons clarion call to the back end of the bell curve.
Where's the 'Cloth-eared Clori-Clown' Craig Kelly when his electorate need him least..

Why is it no one wants to talk to Schmo?... the Chineese... Pfizer... his ministers two doors down the hall about sacking & drunken sexual 'encounters' ... Attorney General the very christain porter; so much not to know... seems God might have gone quiet on the line as well.

sptrawler said:

Here we go the ABC with a size 14 foot in its mouth as usual, jeez @basilio you have to look past the headlines, way too many are looking for a for something to hate. ?
As I said, all Kev gave us was an extra two years on our working lives, for an increase of $30 to the pension.
Morrison gave an increase of $50 to the dole and you criticise, sometimes you have to be objective, people are becoming tone deaf to the media for a reason.?
Also is there any wonder the ABC always finds itself in the $hit, when they don't substantiate a fairly aggressive article.
But like I said, it doesn't really matter, because it is only a game show to the media, get the headline and worry about the consequences later.
The ABC is becoming a dead man walking IMO. Actively trying to undermine the very people who pay your wages, isn't a good look. ?
Best the get ABC fact check onto it ASAP and give them a shovel, they could well become a regional broadcaster.
Which would be a tragedy.IMO

Pfizer insists it only negotiates COVID vaccine supplies with the federal government

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer insists supplies of COVID-19 vaccines were only negotiated with the federal government, despite former prime minister Kevin Rudd lobbying the company’s chairman.

www.abc.net.au

From the article:
A letter obtained by the ABC revealed Mr Rudd wrote to Prime Minister Scott Morrison to inform him that he had talked with the global head of Pfizer and personally lobbied him to accelerate the deliveries.

Pfizer has released a statement saying all negotiations have been conducted exclusively with the federal government.

"Recent media reports suggesting that any third party or individual has had any role in contractual agreements reached between Pfizer and the Australian government are inaccurate," a Pfizer spokesperson said.

"The only two parties involved in these agreements are Pfizer and the Australian government. "

Click to expand...

$50 and robodebt,sports rorts,car park rorts,airport rorts and Im not in the business of envy....

bellenuit said:

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: The ABC, The Guardian, Rudd and Turnbull. I wouldn't be in the least surprised if they colluded on this story to deny Morrison the credit for getting the vaccine schedule moved forward. I don't doubt that Rudd made a call, but to give him all the credit is stretching a long bow. And I don't think ScoMo has done a good job of the rollout, even acknowledging some of the early supply problems due to European pressure. But this all smells to me. This is the The ABC and The Guardian involved in activism rather than simply reporting.

Click to expand...

And the letter?Its dated before the announcement

Humid said:

And the letter?Its dated before the announcement

Click to expand...

So?

Any negotiations that the government did to bring forward the supplies would have been before their announcement.

Clutching at Rudd's straw boys...

Pfizer denies Kevin Rudd helped Australia gain earlier access to COVID-19 vaccines​

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-12/pfizer-kevin-rudd-covid-19-vaccines-australia/100286370

Ruddy back at his best. If anyone knows how to take out a sitting PM, there's no one better.

bellenuit said:

So?

Any negotiations that the government did to bring forward the supplies would have been before their announcement.

Click to expand...

9 days after the Rudd letter

moXJO said:

Clutching at Rudd's straw boys...

Pfizer denies Kevin Rudd helped Australia gain earlier access to COVID-19 vaccines​

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-12/pfizer-kevin-rudd-covid-19-vaccines-australia/100286370

Ruddy back at his best. If anyone knows how to take out a sitting PM, there's no one better.

Click to expand...

Geez read the letter
Hows your superior contact tracers going

Humid said:

9 days after the Rudd letter

Click to expand...

So?

bellenuit said:

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: The ABC, The Guardian, Rudd and Turnbull. I wouldn't be in the least surprised if they colluded on this story to deny Morrison the credit for getting the vaccine schedule moved forward. I don't doubt that Rudd made a call, but to give him all the credit is stretching a long bow. And I don't think ScoMo has done a good job of the rollout, even acknowledging some of the early supply problems due to European pressure. But this all smells to me. This is the The ABC and The Guardian involved in activism rather than simply reporting.

Click to expand...

Definitely blown up on social media. There seems to be an astroturf campaign against the current government. I don't really care, but there is definitely a noticeable whinge campaign based on some loose facts.

Humid said:

Geez read the letter
Hows your superior contact tracers going

Click to expand...

How does the letter change anything. Everyone knows Rudd's a blowhard. Either way it inserts Rudd back in the limelight.

Contact tracers going well. I still haven't caught it yet.

Some creative diplomacy in Kevin Rudds letter wasn't there ?

Always spoke as a Private Citizen (who had been PM not too long ago..) . Made nice noises about Pfizer and perhaps supporting it's efforts to maximise the bucks they were making off the vaccine ( protect their intellectual property)

He had spoken to Scomo before the meeting to ensure accurate information about current plans and what lines not to cross.

He theorized about future additional contracts so just maybe Pfizer could find some extra doses in the next few weeks ? Nice little ploy ..

He always noted these were government to business decisions. It was just clever negotiations as a private citizen to try and get a couple of million doses a few months earlier.

I'm sure he felt quite smug with his summary letter to ScoMo.

Kevin was always the consummate bureaucrat and planner. He made extensive lists and worked his staff into the ground to make things happen. I suspect this capacity, his business connections and business smarts was why he was approached by the NSW business leader to make the contact and somehow make something happen.

In any case 3 months back he recognized the deep trouble the ScoMo government was in regarding vaccine supplies. As usual he provided the analysis and the list of actions that needed to be done.

Australia’s vaccination rollout strategy has been an epic fail. Now Scott Morrison is trying to gaslight us​

Kevin Rudd

The prime minister has displayed a breathtaking level of political complacency that borders on professional negligence

Scott Morrison (centre) with health minister Greg Hunt (right) and secretary of the department of health Brendan Murphy on Friday. ‘[Morrison’s] strategy, once again, is a political strategy. It has been to blame others – the states on delivery and the Europeans on supply,’ writes Kevin Rudd. Photograph: Mike Bowers/The Guardian
Mon 12 Apr 2021 03.30 AEST
Last modified on Mon 12 Apr 2021 12.42 AEST

Australians should be proud of their success in suppressing and eliminating coronavirus so far. This is largely due to the efforts of state governments – Labor and Liberal – in containing local outbreaks through a combination of mandatory quarantines, temporary lockdowns and effective contact tracing. And the Australian people themselves have played the biggest part by making this strategy of containment, and eventual elimination, work.

The same cannot be said of the federal government’s vaccination strategy where they have politically trumpeted their success. The daily reality of the vaccination rollout strategy reveals a litany of policy and administrative failures.


Read more
Thirteen months into the Covid-19 crisis, the states collectively get a strong B-plus on virus containment; whereas the federal government gets a D-minus on its vaccine rollout.

With the states constitutionally responsible for most of the public health response, Scott Morrison’s main role was: to secure in advance sufficient international and domestic vaccine supply; to do so from multiple vaccine developers to mitigate against the risks of individual vaccines failing; and to organise in advance a distribution strategy that would get the vaccine to the people as rapidly as possible.

On this core responsibility, Morrison has failed. His strategy, once again, is a political strategy. It has been to blame others – the states on delivery and the Europeans on supply.

SirRumpole said:

A triumph of the totally irrelevant and therefore a sure thing for the media bloodhounds.

So what if Kev had a quiet word with some Pfizer execs, he can't negotiate on behalf of the government.

But the ABC chews on it like a dog with a bone.

More important things going on that they should be covering.

Click to expand...

The problem is it doesn't just undermine the Government, it undermines Pfizer's contract process and integrity.
The ABC really should have checked with Pfizer before running the article, it could well have been a scam.
They just couldn't wait to drop the bucket of poo, poor form.

So maybe Rudd can fix Scummos feud with China too

bellenuit said:

So?

Click to expand...

The problem was that AstraZeneca got lit up by concerns over the minuscule threat of clots. Meanwhile pfizer heart problems are ignored.
There's a constant negative feed in everything that Morrison has done. Very noticeable campaign.