Vaccination progress in the EU: “Plateau in some countries …

by time news

EU Commissioner Kyriakides visited a vaccination center in Vienna and wants to do more to combat misinformation. The goal is a vaccination rate of 70 percent across Europe – a long way to go in Romania and Bulgaria.

Vaccination coverage against Covid-19 has developed very differently in the EU. While Portugal increased the rate from 59 to 85 percent from the beginning of August to the end of September, Austria only increased the rate from 51 to 60 percent. There are different reasons for this, said EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides on Friday at a meeting with Health Minister Wolfgang Mückstein (Greens) in Vienna. False information must be combated and target groups addressed.

When asked, Kyriakides said there was no single answer to increasing vaccination coverage in individual member states. A meeting with epidemiologists from various EU countries is planned in two weeks to discuss this topic, among other things. “We have to fight false information with clear statements,” she demanded in any case. She also praised the approach in Austria of “bringing vaccinations to the citizens and not just waiting for people to come to the vaccination centers,” she said during a visit to Impfstrasse in the Austria Center Vienna. “Austria has so far vaccinated 71 percent of the population over the age of 18 against Covid. That is quite a success,” emphasized Kyriakides.

“Plateau reached in some countries”

In addition to Portugal, with an increase of 26 percentage points to 85 percent full immunization in the total population since the beginning of August, its neighbor Spain also increased significantly from 58 to 78 percent. In Denmark there was also a plus of 20 percentage points to 75 percent vaccination rate and Sweden increased even more clearly from the comparatively low 42 to 65 percent, shows an analysis of figures from the platform “Our World in Data”.

“In some countries we have reached a plateau in terms of vaccination coverage,” noted the EU Health Commissioner. In Hungary, 57 percent were fully vaccinated against Covid at the beginning of August; at the end of September it was hardly any more at 59 percent. Romania has a vaccination rate of less than 30 percent, Bulgaria below 20 percent. However, more vaccinations are needed across the EU, and the next goal is to vaccinate 70 percent of the entire EU population, announced Kyriakides.

Vaccination works and is safe – “these are facts”

“Enlightenment is the key,” said Mückstein about the false reports that are circulating. Mückstein emphasized that everyone could make a contribution, and the mayor and general practitioners also needed help. The vaccination works and is safe, “these are facts,” assured the minister and doctor. More than six billion doses have been vaccinated worldwide and more than 2.6 billion people are fully immunized. Available data – also from Austria – prove the safety and effectiveness. The 36 percent who are not vaccinated in this country make up over 90 percent of the symptomatic diseases, explained Mückstein.

The coronavirus pandemic is a global problem that can only be solved together, emphasized Mückstein and Kyriakides. According to Mückstein, Austria has donated several million vaccination boxes and vaccination equipment to countries such as Lebanon, Tunisia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Iran. The politicians announced the strengthening of the EU health agencies EMA and ECDC and the creation of a new authority to deal with crises and disasters. The aim is to better prepare the EU for future health challenges. The EU Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) should be fully operational by the beginning of 2022.

Against cancer in the EU, “we can do a lot more together,” said Kyriakides. Cancer will be the main cause of death in the EU by 2035, said the EU health commissioner.

(WHAT)

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