Italy to begin COVID-19 vaccinations from Jan 2021, 1.7 million people to be inoculated

Italy’s special commissioner for the virus emergency, Domenico Arcuri, on November 19 said that people who wanted to get vaccinated against COVID-19 will be able to receive their shots by next September. According to the reports by AP, Italy will be receiving 3.4 million doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine in January. However, the doses will be provided on a priority basis. Elder people who are more prone to the virus will get the dose first, said Arcuri.

Arcuri said that the Italian government will be informing the parliament of the order in which various citizens will receive the doses. During a news conference in Rome, Arcuri said, “This will be the biggest campaign to administer a vaccine that we can remember, not just in Italy but in all of Europe and many parts of the world”. He added, “We don’t know how many Italians will want to get the vaccine. I can say on the basis of forecasts not yet validated, an important part of our population will be able to be vaccinated in the first half of the year, or in any case by the end of the third quarter”.

Read: WHO Warns Europe Will Face 'tough Six Months' Ahead As COVID-19 Cases Continue To Surge

COVID-19 situation worsens in Italy 

According to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, Italy has a total of 1,308,528 cases with 47,870 fatalities. During late October, restrictions were imposed in Italy amid a surge in cases. Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte ruled against another heavy nationwide lockdown but urged citizens to wear masks, shut down gyms, pools and movie theaters and put an early curfew on cafes and restaurants.

Read: Close Checks At Italy Care Homes As Italy Fights Virus

In a recent development, World Health Organization Regional Director of Europe, Hans Kluge, during a press conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, said that another ‘tough’ six months lie in front of Europe. As per the statement, there have been around 15.7 million cases of the novel coronavirus with nearly 355000 deaths. Also, in the past two weeks, deaths due to the deadly coronavirus increased by 18 per cent. Europe accounted for 28 per cent of global cases and 26 per cent of deaths. Over 80 per cent of the countries in the region are reporting elevated 14-day incidence rates. As per the reports from France, intensive care wards have been at over 95 per cent capacity for 10 days. In Switzerland, intensive care units are at full capacity. Also, outbreaks in schools and other long-term care settings and various such gatherings are being reported. 

Read: Italy: Naples Hospital Overwhelmed With Virus Patients

Also Read: Greece: Migrants Stopped On Italy-bound Yacht

(Image Credits: AP/Unsplash)