BioNTech has said it is readying 12.5 million doses as European countries get set to start vaccinating their most vulnerable. Several EU countries will begin vaccinations this week, others will follow in the new year.
Logistics will be key to guaranteeing coronavirus vaccines remain cold enough during delivery across Europe this weekImage: Virginia Mayo/AP/picture alliance
Several countries have launched their COVID-19 vaccination programs, boosting hopes that it may be the beginning of the end of the pandemic.
Image: Ariel Schalit/AP/picture alliance
Mexico
Mexico's military is in charge of running the vaccination program, which began on Tuesday. The country will be administering 125,000 doses of the newly approved Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. For now, only medical staff in two out of Mexico's 32 states — Mexico city and the northern state of Coahuila — will be vaccinated.
Image: Claudio Cruz/APF/Getty Images
Israel
Israel kicked off its vaccination drive on Sunday. On day 1, health workers, the PM and the defense forces received the vaccine, while those above 60 started receiving the vaccine from Monday. Israel aims to vaccinate at least 2 million people by January.
Image: Ariel Schalit/AP/picture alliance
United States
The US has approved two vaccines in order to speed up the roll out of the vaccine to its population. President-elect Joe Biden received his first dose of the vaccine on Monday. The politician emphasized the safety of the vaccine, and even praised President Donald Trump, saying the current administration "deserves some credit" for getting the vaccine distribution "off the ground."
Image: Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo/picture alliance
United Kingdom
The UK started its vaccination program earlier this month. The first 800,000 doses of the vaccine will be given to people over 80 who are hospitalized, along with healthcare workers. There is speculation on whether the vaccine will be effective against the new strain of the coronavirus, but BioNTech, the German partner of Pfizer in the coronavirus vaccine, has said that its vaccine could work.
Image: Danny Lawson/empics/picture alliance
Canada
Canada's health regulator gave an emergency approval to Pfizer's vaccine earlier this month. The country will receive up to 249,000 doses of the vaccine in December. The country has started rolling out the vaccine to its healthcare workers.
Image: Adrian Wyld/REUTERS
Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a mass inoculation campaign this month. Doctors, teachers and social workers are first in line to receive Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. Meanwhile, clinics in Moscow have also begun to offer the vaccine.
'Likelihood is high' vaccine will work against new variant
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Doses will be delivered in Germany, France and Italy on Saturday, December 26, so that each can begin vaccinating the most vulnerable, namely the elderly, on December 27. Germany will initially receive 150,000 doses with more to come later in the week. Meanwhile, vaccine doses will be delivered from a central storage facility in Belgium to 300 sites around Italy. It is expected that France's medical regulators will give their final national approval for the use of the vaccine on December 24.
Austria, Bulgaria and Spain are scheduled to begin vaccinations on the 27th as well. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban says he expects vaccinations in his country to begin on the 27th or 28th. Belgium and Luxembourg will begin vaccinations on December 28, with Switzerland (a non-EU country) expected to vaccinate only the most vulnerable this week before beginning a broader immunization campaign on January 4.
The Netherlands will begin its vaccination program on January 8. Last week, Health Minister Hugo De Jong told parliament, "We have opted for a plan that is careful, safe and responsible." Early approval of the vaccine in the UK and the US caused some commotion in the EU, but, ultimately, the bloc maintained its plan to conduct a slower, more comprehensive testing regime rather than rushing approval.
