Europe pushes for vaccine rollout
BERLIN: European nations vowed Wednesday to get their coronavirus vaccination campaigns rolling before the end of the year.
As surges in infections prompted tighter restrictions across several countries, Germany said it will begin vaccinations on Dec 27 – a date expected to be matched across the European Union.
France said it would receive around 1.16 million vaccine doses by year-end, with a further 2.3 million coming over the next two months.
The vaccination drive cannot come too soon to the embattled continent, which is fast approaching 500,000 deaths from the disease.
“It feels like a Sunday,” said Ines Kumpl, 57, observing the deserted streets of Berlin on the first day of a new partial lockdown.
“These measures are necessary but it’s stressful.”
Germany saw a record high of 952 deaths in 24 hours on Wednesday, a figure that could rise as the hard-hit Saxony region was not included.
Denmark, France, Turkey and the Netherlands have all tightened restrictions and Spain’s prime minister expressed alarm at rising infection numbers there.
“To get to the end of the pandemic, we will need up to 70 per cent of the population vaccinated,” European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen told MEPs.
Pressure has been mounting on the European Union since Britain and the US started their immunisation programmes, using a vaccine developed by
Pfizer and BioNTech.
The British government said more than 137,000 people had received a first dose in the week since inoculations began.
The World Health Organisation’s European wing warned of a resurgence of the virus on the continent early next year, urging special precautions over the holiday season.
“It may feel awkward to wear masks and practise physical distancing when around friends and family, but doing so contributes significantly to ensuring that everyone remains safe,” it said.
As much of the world waits to get a jab, Twitter said that it would crack down on false posts and conspiracy theories about vaccines.
The policy will include action against claims that the vaccine is being used to intentionally cause harm or control people.
Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro performed an about-turn on Wednesday as he backed the national mass immunisation campaign.
His support came a day after he told a well-known television presenter that “I won’t get vaccinated. It’s my problem. Full stop.”
Bolsonaro contracted the coronavirus in July but recovered quickly.
Brazil on Wednesday set a new record of infections – 70,574 cases in one day, though officials admit the true number is far higher.
Peru, which has one of the world’s highest Covid-19 mortality rates, admitted it had no idea when it would be able to get hold of sought-after vaccine stocks.