 WHO's
Kluge says European COVID-19 vaccine campaign is "unacceptably slow"
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[April 01, 2021]
ZURICH (Reuters) - Europe's rollout of
vaccinations against COVID-19 is "unacceptably slow," the World Health
Organization's European head said on Thursday, raising concern that
delays in giving shots could prolong the pandemic as cases of variants
spread.
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 Only 10% of the region's population have received one vaccine dose,
and 4% have completed a full course, Hans Kluge said.
"The rollout of these vaccines is unacceptably slow," he said in a
statement. "... We must speed up the process by ramping up
manufacturing, reducing barriers to administering vaccines, and
using every single vial we have in stock, now."
Europe was slower than Britain and the United States, not only to
order vaccines last year from companies but also in approving them.
Even once they were approved by the bloc, rates of vaccinations
there have largely trailed behind British and U.S. efforts.
Kluge said new infections in Europe were rising in every age group
except those aged over 80, a sign that the vaccinations that have
gone to older groups are working but that the stuttering rollout was
leaving younger people vulnerable.
"As variants of concern continue to spread and strain on hospitals
grows, religious holidays are leading to increased mobility," the
WHO said in its statement.
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 "Speeding up vaccination
rollout is crucial."
In addition to tight supplies, squabbles over
exports and delays by some vaccine
manufacturers, and concerns over the safety of
the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine after rare
clotting events emerged have also curbed
vaccination momentum.
Some countries are still not giving the
British-Swedish company's shots and others,
including Germany, are restricting them to
people over 60 years old.
Regulators and the WHO have declared that the
shot's benefits outweigh risks and continue to
study the clotting incidents.
(Reporting by John Miller; editing by Stephanie
Nebehay and John Stonestreet)
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