Vaccination against coronavirus in the EU countries should be accelerated if possible, a spokesman for the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) told RIA Novosti.
“Campaigns for vaccination against COVID-19 should remain a priority for all countries. The introduction of the vaccine should continue and, if possible, should be accelerated”, – the source said.
At the same time, he noted that many countries of the Union still face a shortage of vaccine supplies, although there is progress in the vaccination campaign.
“Quite a few countries continued to report that limited vaccine supplies remain the main problem they face,” the source said.
However, compared to last month, more states say they no longer face this problem, he added. Vaccinations in the EU began at the end of December last year and in the first weeks the union was faced with shortages of vaccinations. However, then the situation was reported to have improved.
“Due to the difficulties with the supply of vaccines, a number of countries had to make changes in priority groups (vaccinations – ed.), And some had to suspend, postpone or adjust the timing of the vaccination campaign in different regions”, – said an ECDC spokesman.
“Efforts to ensure more equitable access to vaccinations around the world can reduce the risk of new options emerging”, – the source said.
Overall, the weekly number of vaccines distributed and administered is stable or growing, indicating good and sustained progress in rolling out vaccination programs, he said. For example, over 27 million doses were administered last week, and nearly 32 million doses were delivered to the EU and the European Economic Area during the same time period.
On the eve of the European Commission reported that a little more than 41% of the adult population of the European Union has already been fully vaccinated against coronavirus, more than 60% have received at least one dose of vaccination.
The ECDC is an EU agency dedicated to strengthening Europe’s defense against infectious diseases. Its main functions include surveillance, epidemiological research, scientific advice, and public health education.