European Union countries began receiving the first deliveries of COVID-19 vaccine this weekend, ahead of the massive launch scheduled for Sunday.
Efforts will be underway on Sunday to vaccinate vulnerable people and top health workers in some countries that experienced the onset 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. “Trucks are currently underway across Europe, Germany and its regions to deliver the first vaccine. More deliveries will follow the day after tomorrow. This vaccine is the key to ending this pandemic. “
The 27 member states of the European bloc have registered a combined number of 16 million cases of coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic, with 336,000 deaths, the AP reported.
Doses of about 10,000 per country began to be shipped from the Pfizer-BioNTech production center in Belgium before Christmas.
While initial shipments are relatively small, the mass vaccination program is set to begin in January and will focus on immunizing many 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 the distribution of the vaccine, although the nations unanimously give priority to the elderly and medical professionals who are constantly at risk of exposure and contracting the virus.
In Germany, those over the age of 80 and those caring for vulnerable groups will receive the first vaccines.
In countries such as Poland and Bulgaria, members of the public have expressed some concern about the administration of the vaccine due to general distrust of the authorities, the PA reported.
Polish officials have argued with residents that receiving a vaccine would be their patriotic duty and help boost the herd’s immunity, while Croatian officials have said they intend to launch an aggressive campaign to demonstrate the benefits of coronavirus inoculation.
As vaccine launches begin across the EU, officials have warned of a new strain of the virus, which appears to be 56% more contagious. The strain spread rapidly in the UK and was detected in many other countries.