Europe prepares for its first batches of covid-19 vaccines

Europe prepares for its first batches of covid-19 vaccines But supplies and uptake are both uncertain The Economist

IN A TYPICAL year the Velodrom, an indoor arena in Berlin that can hold 12,000 people, hosts sports events, trade shows and concerts. This year, the biggest gig it is preparing for is a mass vaccination drive. If all goes to plan, in early January people will start streaming through its 75 booths that are being set up for dishing out doses of Germany’s first supplies of covid-19 vaccines.

Two of Berlin’s disused airports and other venues are also being turned into vaccination centres. The plan is to be ready to vaccinate 20,000 Berliners a day over six weeks. This would account for 10% of the city’s residents, mainly the very old.

Germany is rushing to set up more than 430 mass vaccination sites like these. It is also organising roaming vaccination teams for care homes. In spring, vaccines will become available at doctors’ offices. Mobile teams will visit the infirm at home.

Other European countries are preparing too, though most are far behind Germany. Italy plans to set up 300 covid-19 vaccination sites, starting in hospitals, along with mobile units. The laggards are in eastern Europe, where some countries have done little more than set up task forces.

The starting shot for vaccination in the European Union will be fired on December 29th, when the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the EU’s drug regulator, is expected to decide on a covid-19 vaccine created by Pfizer and BioNTech, which has already been approved in Britain. On January 12th the EMA will make the call on a second vaccine, by the American firm Moderna. Other covid-19 vaccines that are still in clinical trials will follow. By the look of things, at some point in 2021 most European countries may be using three or more covid-19 vaccines simultaneously. ...