The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has confirmed that the European Union’s coronavirus vaccination programme will begin on the 27th, 28th and 29th of December throughout all the EU member states including Portugal.
Following on from this, the German Minister of Health, Jens Spahn, has already announced that Germany will start its vaccination programme this month. In a statement he said “in Germany we will start inoculating citizens on the 27th of December, if approval goes ahead as planned.”
All remaining EU member states are planning to start their vaccination programmes on the same date.
The first 9,750 Pfizer vaccines to arrive this year in Portugal will initially be administered to health professionals since they are in the front line of the fight against the virus.’ In January, a further 300 thousand doses are scheduled to arrive, which will be used to vaccinate senior citizens.
According to the Portuguese Minister of Health, Marta Temido, the European Medicines Agency may issue the conditional vaccination marketing authorisation on the 23rd of December, and if so the first consignment of vaccines will arrive in Portugal on the 26th.
She went on announce that Portugal may start its vaccination programme on the 27th to remain in-line with other EU countries. However, she said that the administration and logistics of the vaccine was a new and demanding process, but stressed that Portuguese citizens should have confidence with the effectiveness of the vaccine.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
