Supply of coronavirus vaccine in Europe
An effective vaccine is the best remedy against the coronavirus and has the potential to save many thousands of lives in Europe. Vaccinations now have to be further intensified in view of the new wave of infections. The good news, according to EU Commission President von der Leyen: the EU has enough vaccine.
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76.3 percent of adults in the EU are fully vaccinated (as of 19 November). Vaccinations urgently need to be stepped up.
Photo: imago images/Fleig Eibner
Coronavirus infections are currently seeing a rapid rise throughout Europe. It is now crucial for those who have been vaccinated to maintain their immunity. This is why the EU agencies recommend a booster vaccination for all adults. It significantly enhances immunisation, thereby preventing large numbers of hospitalisations and deaths.
According to the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Union has enough vaccine doses. This was good news, she said. “By the end of this week we will have delivered one billion vaccine doses to the member states of the European Union.” At the same time, she warned that more people needed to be persuaded to get vaccinated. A quarter of adults in the EU were still not fully vaccinated, she said.
All in all, the EU Commission has secured up to 4.6 billion doses of coronavirus vaccine to date, with negotiations for additional supplies currently in progress. The Commission is also working directly with industry to expand vaccine production capacity.
Adaptation of the digital COVID certificate planned
The EU Commission has proposed an update of the digital COVID certificates in view of the development of infection figures: member states are to agree on a standard validity period of nine months for certificates issued after the first vaccination series. “Agreement on this proposal will be crucial to protecting the free movement of citizens,” said EU Justice Commissioner Reynders. The aim is to enhance the immunity of people in the EU by means of booster vaccinations.
The COVID digital certificate has been a great success. It is currently the only system of its kind operating worldwide. The document facilitates safe travel for citizens, thereby making a key contribution to the hard-hit tourism industry in Europe. The certificate has been a success worldwide, too: there are currently 51 participating countries on five continents, with Singapore and Togo being the most recent to join the scheme.
To find out more about the digital EU COVID certificate, see the European Commission website.
The EU is the world’s biggest exporter of vaccines
The European Union has exported more than one billion doses of vaccine in recent months, delivering as much vaccine to the rest of the world as it has provided for the people in the EU itself. It is the world’s biggest exporter of vaccines.