EU says it has reached goal of vaccinating 70% of adults

BRUSSELS: The European Commission said on Tuesday that 70% of the European Union's adult population had been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, hitting a target it set at the beginning of the year.

The announcement marks a milestone in the EU vaccination strategy after a slow start, but it also masks big differences among EU countries, with some nations exceeding the 70% goal, while others in the poorer eastern region of the bloc are far behind. "70% of adults in EU are fully vaccinated. I want to thank the many people making this great achievement possible," the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said on Twitter.