Study suggests Malta has highest EU vaccination rate per capita
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According to a study reported by Politico, if the current number of doses per day remains unchanged until the end of Summer, Malta will have vaccinated 35% of its population. While that ratio is just half the European Commission’s target of 70%, it would still place Malta on top of the EU list.
The EU executive announced such target in January, but European Member States are only injecting some 20% of necessary daily doses to get there. The situation has been crippled by a war of words between the Commission and vaccine manufacturer AstraZeneca after the latter warned it can’t fulfill its promised delivery schedule for the first quarter.
On the contrary, at present levels, the UK is expected to have vaccinated practically all its population – some 97% by end of Summer.
Besides Malta, Hungary is the only country expected to exceed 30% by September (32%), with Ireland, Romania and Poland tagging behind. At the wrong end of the scale, Croatia, Bulgaria, the Netherlands and Latvia will fail to reach the double digit mark.
Politico also estimates that should the current vaccination pace remain the same, with roughly 1,111 daily doses, Malta will be the first EU country to reach the 70% mark, in July 2021. On the other hand, for the island to reach the EU-70% target by this September, it will have to more than double the vaccination rate, to 2,354.
Globally, Israel leads the way, with the most successful rollout while some countries in the developing world have not yet commenced the process.
