LETTERS – Speed of vaccine nothing to do with EU

I refer to the letter from Mr Jackson entitled “Light at end of Covid tunnel” (The Voice, December 10).

Whilst I am in agreement with most of his analysis of the development of the COVID-19 vaccine that is now being rolled out in the UK, he is perhaps in error in respect of the approval process.

It is not the case that because of Brexit we were able to ‘fast track’ the approval process while EU members have to wait for “prior approval from Brussels”.

Matt Hancock was forced to concede this point when he was corrected by June Raine (MHRA’s Chief Executive).

The fact is that the MHRA simply took advantage of a provision that any country in the European Union could use to fast-track approval of a vaccine in a pandemic.

That they have chosen not to do so is a matter for individual European Governments and nothing to do with the EU as an entity.

John Reynolds
Weston