EU countries are eagerly kicking off mass COVID-19 vaccines

ROME (AP) – EU countries on Sunday launched a concerted effort to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine to the most vulnerable of nearly 450 million people, marking a moment of optimism in the continental war against the worst public health crisis of a century. .

Health workers, the elderly and leading politicians received their first shots at camps in 27 countries to reassure the public that vaccines are safe and that they have a better chance of surviving the epidemic.

Mihela Angel, a nurse at the Mattie Pauls Institute in Bucharest, the first person to be vaccinated in Romania, said: “It doesn’t hurt. “Open your eyes and get vaccinated.”

In Rome, five doctors and nurses dressed as white doctors sat in a semicircle at the Spalanzani Infectious Diseases Hospital and received their measurements.

“This news is an invitation to share hope, optimism and this choice,” said one of the recipients, Dr. Maria Rosaria Cabobianchi, who was head of the Virology Laboratory in Spalensani and was part of a team that isolated the virus in early February. “No reason to worry.”

It is noteworthy that the Italian virus jar Dominico Arkuri, Italy’s first vaccine doses were administered in Spallanzani, where a visiting Chinese couple from Wuhan tested positive in January and became Italy’s first confirmed cases. Only then will northern Lombardy become the epicenter of the eruption in Europe. Italy now has the worst confirmed virus death toll on the continent at nearly 72,000.

“Today is a beautiful, symbolic day: all the citizens of Europe are starting to get their vaccines together, the first ray of light after a long night,” Arguri told reporters outside the hospital.

But he warned: “We must all continue to be prudent, cautious, and responsible. We still have a long way to go, but finally we see a little light. ”

The vaccine, developed by German bioentech and American pharmaceutical manufacturer Pfizer, began arriving in super-cold containers at EU hospitals on Friday from a factory in Belgium.

A 96-year-old resident and a caregiver were the first Spaniards to be vaccinated at the Los Olmos Hospital in the Spanish city of Guadalajara, northeast of Madrid.

“We’ll all walk in and see if we can get rid of this virus,” said Araseli Hidalko, an elderly resident, after receiving her injection.

The Czech Republic was spared the worst of epidemics in the spring, only to see its health care system close to collapse in the fall. In Prague, Czech Prime Minister Andrzej Babis received his shot early Sunday morning, insisting “nothing to worry about.” Sitting next to him in a wheelchair was World War II veteran Emily Repikova, who also received the shot.

Overall, at least 16 million corona virus infections and more than 336,000 deaths have been reported in 27 EU countries – experts still acknowledge the true number of cases due to missed cases and limited trials.

All recipients of the footage should return to the second dose within three weeks.

European Commission President Ursula van der Leyen released a video on Saturday celebrating the release of the vaccine, saying it was “a touching moment of unity”. The vaccination campaign, especially in Germany, Britain, Canada and the United States, should have curtailed hatred as they kicked off their vaccination programs with the same vaccine weeks ago.

Once that was done, some EU vaccines were launched a day earlier In Germany, Hungary and Slovakia. Dozens were vaccinated by a German nursing home operator on Saturday, including a 101-year-old woman who said, “Every day we wait is more than one day.”

Each EU country decides on its own, who will get the first shots, and the majority of the elderly and those living in nursing homes.

After facing a year of difficulties in negotiating a post-Brexit trade deal with Britain, EU leaders hope to roll the dice to create a sense of solidarity with the Black Plan on a complex life-saving mission.

“It’s here – good news for Christmas,” said German Health Minister Jens Spann. “This vaccine is the crucial key to ending this epidemic … it is the key to getting our lives back on track.”

Politicians planning to receive viral footage on Sunday to promote the widespread acceptance of the vaccine include Slovakian President Susannah Kapudova and Bulgarian Health Minister Kostadin Angelov.

Meanwhile, the first cases of a new virus variant spreading rapidly around London and the south of England have now been detected in France and Spain. The new variant, which British officials say spreads more easily, has led European countries, the United States and China to impose new restrictions on those coming from Britain.

Japan became the latest country to act, announcing a temporary ban on entry for all immigrant foreigners until January 31 as a precaution against the UK’s new variant.

Germany’s Bioendech has said it believes its corona virus vaccine works against the New England variant, but said further studies should be absolutely conclusive.

On January 6, the European pharmaceutical company will consider approving a second coronavirus vaccine, written by Moderna, which is already in use in the United States.

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Gera reported from Warsaw, Poland.

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