The UK took a calculated risk by opting for early emergency use authorisation rather than conditional market approval like EU. There's less data and gov will be liable.

So far that risk is paying off. But it's still a risk, as is the UK's 1-dose strategy. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/02/ursula-von-der-leyen-accuses-uk-of-compromising-on-vaccine-safety?CMP=share_btn_tw

But contrary to the UK media narrative, the slower approval was not due to bureaucracy.

The UK used a different approval method than EU countries (who were free to use UK's method if they wanted).

Here's an explainer of the difference between them: https://twitter.com/DaveKeating/status/1354807751151554567?s=20

The 1st-come-1st-served point I see some in UK making, that UK is entitled to other countries' vaccines since they used faster more-risky approval method, is troubling.

If govs think more-robust approval means their promised doses are given away, it's a safety race to the bottom