Laurence Dollimore
SPAIN will begin vaccinating against COVID-19 on December 27, the Ministry of Health has announced.
Pfizer will send its first batch of vials on Boxing Day or in the early hours of the 27, revealed Health Minister Salvador Illa at a press conference Friday.
“We are prepared to vaccinate as soon as we receive them,” he said.
“We don’t want to wait a single day. It is not the end, but the vaccines are the beginning of the end.
“The EU has asked that we vaccinate in a coordinated way over the 27, 28 or 29, we will start at the very first opportunity on the 27.”
Residents who are scheduled to receive the first jabs will be notified as soon as possible, the Government said.
Illa added that Spain still did not know exactly how many it would be receiving next week.
“It will be a significant number, although not as many as we would like,” said Illa, “The arrival of the vaccine will be a gradual process, we will receive doses weekly and distribute them to the different regions equally.”
He added that all the autonomous communities are ready and prepared to begin their respective vaccination programmes from December 27.
“Our country has a lot of experience in vaccination and the regions have been preparing since September,” added Illa.
The first people to receive the jab will be those in care homes and their carers.
A total of 2.5 million people are planned to be vaccinated in the first quarter of 2021.
The vials will be transported under the strictest security, with the location of their arrival being kept a state secret.
It is also not being revealed where they are being delivered to in each of the 17 autonomous regions.
During their journey, the doses will be accompanied by the army.
