Doctors, nurses, and the elderly rolled up their sleeves across the European Union to receive the first doses of the coronavirus vaccine on Sunday in a symbolic show of unity and a moment of hope for a continent confronting its worst health care crisis in a century, reported euronews on Sunday.
European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said the mass roll-out of a viable coronavirus vaccine was “a touching moment of unity” for the bloc.
While a few countries started giving doses a day early, the coordinated rollout for the 27-nation bloc was aimed at projecting a unified message that the vaccine was safe and Europe’s best chance to emerge from the pandemic and the economic devastation caused by months of lockdown.
For health care workers who have been battling the virus with only masks and shields to protect themselves, the vaccines represented an emotional relief as well as a public chance to urge Europe’s 450 million people to get the shots for their own health and that of others.
In the meantime Russia is the only European country out of EU which began vaccination against COVID-19 on December 10, according to Health Minister Mikhail Murashko on Saturday. On December the vaccine had been delivered to all regions as part of the large-scale vaccination campaign./argumentum.al
