Graham Stringer, who represents Blackley and Broughton, has stated he’s “very optimistic” after parting methods with the union and its “sluggish regulatory embrace”. Figures for Larger Manchester present 43,455 individuals within the high two precedence teams – frontline well being care employees and folks aged over 80 – had been vaccinated by January 3.

Solely 516 individuals had been vaccinated in France by the identical date and this was branded a “state scandal” by French politician Jean Rottner.

The Manchester quantity is prone to have elevated considerably because the UK hurtles ahead with its vaccination marketing campaign, described as the largest in British historical past, although up-to-date numbers are but to be launched.

Figures, calculated by ourworldindata.org and Politico, point out Belgium had administered round 54,000 vaccinations as of January 13.

France has now administered round 247,000 vaccines whereas the Netherlands has recorded 47,000, the information suggests. The UK has vaccinated greater than three million.

Talking on Monday, Mr Stringer instructed Categorical.co.uk: “Well being officers in Salford inform me they’ve vaccinated extra individuals than France which is a symbolic indicator that, by being out of the EU, we will do issues higher.

“I’m very optimistic about being away from its very sluggish regulatory embrace.”

Mr Stringer additionally stated he has doubts over whether or not the EU will survive sooner or later, describing it as “unbalanced”.

He added: “I believe the medium time period way forward for the EU could be very uncertain.

“It’s so unbalanced between international locations like Finland, Holland and Germany that are contributing and people which can be taking.

READ MORE: EU Covid vaccine ‘battle’ forcing Fee to defuse tensions

The EU initially ordered 300 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab after approving it simply earlier than Christmas.

However additional purple tape in France – together with the necessity for a big file to be learn to care house employees – slowed vaccination targets.

These receiving the vaccine in France even have to provide consent to a health care provider 5 days prematurely, and there may be better scepticism than within the UK, with polls suggesting as many as 58 p.c of the general public don’t need to be immunised.

Germany, the world’s fourth largest economic system, had inoculated much less individuals than the UK, US and Israel firstly of the 12 months – regardless of vaccine producer BioNTech being based mostly in Mainz.

Markus Söder, chief of Christian Social Union, instructed Bild am Sonntag in regards to the nation’s frustrations with the delays.

He stated: “The European Fee has most likely deliberate too bureaucratically: too few of the suitable ones have been ordered and value debates have gone on for too lengthy.”