Reaching 70% immunisation seems impossible for EU due to delays

As per the latest speculations, the EU could miss its goal of protecting 70% of adults against COVID-19 by the summer by months due to vaccine delays and money to rollouts within member states. Several nations have now subdued the use of the AstraZeneca jab, on which Europe has been relying to reach its goals, after the European Medicines Agency (EMA) published a “probable link” between the jab and a rare form of a blood clot. Johnson & Johnson then made the rollout of its vaccine in Europe amid blood clot reports in the US, which are being studied.

Without these two vaccines in the mix, the EU could see its timeline pushed back to 8 December, according to science analytics company Airfinity.

“They’re very dependent on Johnson & Johnson, they’ve got 200 million doses on order, and it’s a singular shot vaccine,” read Airfinity senior analyst Matt Linley.

“If they weren’t to use Johnson & Johnson, it could push them back to the end of the year.”

The company uses hundreds of experts, including government websites, media reports and press statements, to gather data before researchers make projections. Linley told Euronews the “best case” place for the EU is seeing 70% of adults used by the summer if it did the AstraZeneca jabs it had available, and Johnson & Johnson.

“There’s not much chance for them to make that date forward, and there’s every opportunity for the time to move back,” he said.

Johnson & Johnson was approved by the EMA, but it has not yet been rolled out, with the EMA is studying the vaccine’s safety.This follows multiple ends of the use of the AstraZeneca jab in the EU and delays to its rollout with the countries increasing the demographic of who should be given the jab.