The European Union began on Sunday to coordinate the launch of a coronavirus vaccine in its 27 member states, with a view to vaccinating about 450 million people.
Why it matters: Following the surge in cases, deaths and hospitalizations, several European countries tightened restrictions. Since the pandemic began, EU countries have recorded at least 16 million COVID-19 cases and 336,000 deaths.
Big picture: The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine arrived in EU countries on Saturday. The Associated Press said that most countries received less than 10,000 doses for the first shipment.
- The Associated Press pointed out that Germany, Hungary, and Slovakia received the first coronavirus vaccine on Saturday, which was carried out before the coordinated launch.
- According to Reuters, Germany fired its first shots on a few people in a few nursing homes on Saturday.
- Hungary injected the first dose of vaccines into frontline health workers in Budapest.
- The Associated Press said Slovakia also fired some of its first shots on medical staff.
What are they talking about:”
- She added: “#EU vaccination day is a touching moment of solidarity. Vaccination is a lasting way to escape the pandemic.”
- According to the Associated Press, German Health Minister Jens Spahn said at a press conference on Saturday that “vaccine is the decisive key to ending this pandemic…it is the key to saving our lives.”
deeper… The challenge of 2021: vaccinating the world
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to include coordinated news.
