Boris Johnson will reject an invitation to join an EU coronavirus vaccine procurement scheme today because it risks slowing the UK’s access to successful products by up to six months.
Ministers have been in talks with the European Commission for weeks over joint negotiations with pharmaceutical companies developing vaccines.
Sir Tim Barrow, the UK’s ambassador to Brussels, will tell the Commission today that it will not take part in the scheme. He will stress the government’s willingness to share information and co-operate in other areas of the fight against the virus.
The UK can join EU joint procurement programmes during the Brexit transition period, a fact ministers claim they only discovered after missing out on two previous schemes to buy ventilators and personal protective equipment.