The United States basically went into business with the drugmakers, spending much more heavily to accelerate vaccine development, testing and production. “They assumed that simply contracting to acquire doses would be enough,” recalled Dr. Slaoui, whom President Donald J. Trump hired to speed the vaccine development. Compared with nearly all the rest of the world, the European Union is in an admirable position. ‘Not Equipped for a Gunfight’The European Union trailed the United States and Britain from the start. In mid-June, the European Commission, the bloc’s executive branch, announced a joint vaccine purchase with a $3.2 billion pot.

Source: New York Times March 20, 2021 06:56 UTC