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ZURICH, April 1 (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.
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.
"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)
