Vaccination programme to start

THE European Union has given the go-ahead to the start of covid-19 vaccinations after the Pfizer-BioNTech inoculation was approved.

Spain is expected to have its immunisation programme underway by Sunday after the European Medicines Agency – followed by the European Commission – gave the vaccine the green light.

Health Minister Salvador Illa said the specific programme of vaccination will depend on the arrival of the vaccine – and other ‘candidates’ when they also meet with the medicines regulator approves them.

The first people to receive the vaccine will be residents and staff of care homes, frontline health workers, and high-risk groups.

The vaccine is said to have 95% efficacy and will immunise people aged 16 and over.

The minister said overall 140 million doses of various vaccines were on order and it was hoped to have 15 to 20 million people vaccinated by May or June. He said the arrival of the jab was ‘beginning of the end, not the end’ of the health crisis.