The Telegraph
Boris Johnson to give press conference at 5pm - watch live Boris Johnson fights to reopen schools before Easter EU threatens to block exports of Pfizer Covid vaccine Coronavirus latest news: UK 'will not hesitate' to tighten borders, Priti Patel warns William Hague: Constitutional tinkering won't stop SNP juggernaut Subscribe to The Telegraph for a month-long free trial The UK will work with the European Union to end “vaccine protectionism” and ensure no disruption to supply, Matt Hancock has said. The Health Secretary told a virtual Chatham House event that vaccine nationalism "was not the right approach", following the EU's proposal to impose tight controls on the export of Covid-19 vaccines made in the bloc. He said: "We oppose protectionism in all its forms and I think protectionism is unfortunate, especially so in the midst of a pandemic, when we are working so closely together with countries right around the world." Stressing there should be no disruption to the UK’s vaccine supply, he added: "I am sure that we can work with the EU to ensure that whilst transparency is welcome, there are no blockers that are put in place." He said: "Having spoken to the chief executives of both of Pfizer and AstraZeneca, I am confident of the supply of vaccine into the UK won't be disrupted. "But I would urge all international partners in fact to be collaborative and working closely together." It comes as the Government announced that the UK would provide genomic expertise to nations with limited resources to flag any concerning new coronavirus variants emerging abroad. Nations will be able to request the support through the World Health Organisation or directly to the UK. Follow the latest updates below.