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23RD - 29TH MARCH 2021 - EDITION 882
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Europe could have herd immunity by July Europe could have herd immunity against Covid-19 by July, as incoming vaccines are expected to speed up the continent's vaccination roll-out, an EU Commissioner has said. The optimistic news comes even while several
countries in Europe have started reintroducing harsher restrictions as they contend with surging infections, and after mixed messages on the safety of a key vaccine. Thierry Breton, the EU's
commissioner for the internal market said, “Let's take a symbolic date: by July 14, we have the possibility of achieving immunity across the continent. We're in the home stretch, because we know that to beat this pandemic there's just one solution: vaccination. The vaccines are arriving.” More than a third of people in France are now under renewed lockdown, while frustrations over restrictions manifested in weekend demonstrations in Germany, Amsterdam, Bulgaria and Switzerland. The struggle by Europe to contain a third wave of infections has been made even more complicated by a sluggish vaccine programme and several EU nations temporarily suspending the administering of the Astra Zeneca
vaccine in response to concerns over blood clots. Most nations have since resumed using the vaccine after the European Medicines Agency found it "safe and effective". However, Astra Zeneca has delivered only 30 percent of the 90 million doses it promised the EU for the first quarter of 2021. Commissioner Breton however said he was confident that more vaccines will arrive soon, with 300-350 million doses expected between March and June. He added that 55 factories would now be producing vaccines in Europe. Meanwhile, the European Commission has proposed the creation of a Digital Green Certificate to facilitate safe free movement inside the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic. The
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