ROME (Reuters) – Italy says on Saturday it intends to vaccinate at least 80% of its population by the end of September, following criticism over the slow pace of a coronavirus vaccination campaign in one of the hardest-hit countries. of Europe.
Francesco Paolo Figliuolo, army general and new special commissioner for the coronavirus, published a national plan to administer 500,000 doses a day at full capacity, according to a cabinet document.
Italy has recorded 101,881 deaths since the outbreak in the country in February 2020, the second highest toll in Europe after Britain and the seventh highest in the world. So far, 3.2 million cases of infection have been reported.
To date, some 1.95 million Italians, equal to 3.8% of the eligible population, have been vaccinated twice, provoking public criticism of the slow pace of deployment and leading to the appointment of Figliuolo.
Italy expects to receive an increasing number of vaccines, with total deliveries going from 15.7 million doses in the first quarter to 52.5 million between April and June to a maximum of 84.9 million in the third quarter, according to the document.
It plans to expand health care providers who manage shots by pushing an existing agreement to hire family doctors and using dentists, junior doctors, doctors from the Italian Federation of Sports Medicine and others.
In addition to health centers that already function as vaccination points, Italy will use military barracks, production sites, large-scale outlets, gyms, schools and Catholic church facilities.
Just under 51 million Italians are eligible for the vaccine and 60% of them could be vaccinated by the end of July, reaching the first threshold for herd immunity, according to the document.
Patheon Thermo Fischer, part of U.S.-listed Thermo Fischer Scientific, is ready to launch mass production of a COVID-19 vaccine in Italy, a government source said Friday.
Reports by Giuseppe Fonte and Francesca Landini; Written by Francesca Landini; Edited by Mike Harrison and Edmund Blair