European Union Hits Goal Of Delivering Vaccines For 70% Of Adults

When the coronavirus epidemic hit Europe last yeat, the European Commission -- which previously had little role in health policy -- stepped in to coordinate a joint buying programme for members.

The European Union has hit its target of delivering enough coronavirus vaccine to cover 70 percent of the adult population, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Saturday. The 27 EU member state governments are responsible for administering the vaccines to citizens -- and some are working much faster than others -- but von der Leyen stressed that: "The EU has kept its word." The EU joint vaccine purchasing scheme, run by von der Leyen's European Commission, has delivered 330 million BioNTech-Pfizer shots, 100 million AstraZeneca, 50 million from Moderna and 20 million Johnson & Johnson. All but the J&J jab require two doses to achieve full efficacy, and the EU is home to an estimated 366 million adults.