Brussels (Brussels Morning) Most EU citizens could be vaccinated by July according to a document released by the European Commission, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.
The EC assumption is based on citizens accepting the vaccine developed by British-Swedish AstraZeneca pharmaceuticals.
The Commission notes that eight EU member states should have enough vaccines to inoculate more than 50% of their citizens by July, according to current confirmed vaccine orders.
These include Malta (93.1%), Denmark (79.9%), the Netherlands (64.6%), Germany (61%), France (58.2%), Spain (57.4%), Italy (57.1%) and Austria (51.3%).
EC optimism
The EC document claims that the bloc could achieve vaccination goals sooner than expected. The Commission previously noted it hoped to vaccinate 70% of the bloc’s adult population by the end of the summer.
However, depending on the demographics of EU member states, 70% of the adult population corresponds to between 55% and 60% of total population.
The document shows Brussels is becoming increasingly confident that the bloc’s vaccination campaign will get on track after the faltering start that was marked by contradictory messages, delays and political bickering.
EMA head at odds with own agency
Nonetheless, mixed messages about the AstraZeneca vaccine could jeopardise these latest projection given that Marco Cavaleri, head of vaccines at the European Medicines Agency (EMA), suggested on Tuesday that there could be a causal link between the shot and blood clots.
Later in the day, the EMA reported that no causal link between the vaccine and blood clots has been found, while adding, according to the Guardian, that it is still investigating.
Claims that the vaccine causes blood clots led some EU member states to suspend its use last month, while some countries restricted its use to specific age groups.
The EC expects the EU will receive some 355 million doses of vaccines between April and June. The total will comprise 55 million single-shot vaccines developed by US Johnson & Johnson pharmaceuticals and 300 million two-shot vaccines developed by AstraZeneca, BioNTech-Pfizer and Moderna.
