European Union countries began receiving their first shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine this weekend ahead of a mass deployment scheduled for Sunday.
Efforts will be made Sunday to vaccinate vulnerable people and top-priority medical workers in some of the countries that experienced the weight of the first wave of the virus this spring, including the Czech Republic, Italy and Spain, The Associated Press reported.
“It’s here, the good news of Christmas,” said German Health Minister Jens Spahn, according to the AP. “At the moment, trucks are up and running throughout Europe, in Germany and its regions, to administer the first vaccine. More deliveries will follow after tomorrow. This vaccine is the key to ending this pandemic. “
The 27 member states of the European bloc have seen a combined 16 million cases of coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, with 336,000 deaths, the PA reported.
Before Christmas, doses of about 10,000 per country began to be sent to the Pfizer-BioNTech manufacturing center in Belgium.
Although initial shipments are relatively small, the mass vaccination program will start in January and will focus on vaccinating many more people across the EU.
The EU has agreed to buy up to 300 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech and millions more from other manufacturers such as Moderna.
Each country is responsible for its own rules on vaccine distribution, although nations unanimously prioritize elderly populations and medical professionals who are constantly at risk of exposure and contracting the virus.
In Germany, people over the age of 80 and people caring for vulnerable groups will receive the first vaccines.
In countries such as Poland and Bulgaria, citizens have expressed some concern about getting the vaccine out of a general distrust of authorities, the PA reported.
Polish officials have begged residents that receiving a vaccine would be their patriotic duty and would help secure the herd’s immunity, while Croatian officials have said they plan to conduct an aggressive campaign to demonstrate the benefits of coronavirus inoculations.
As vaccines begin to be deployed across the EU, officials have warned of a new strain of the virus that appears to be 56 per cent more contagious. The strain has spread rapidly in the UK and has been detected in many other countries.