27 December 2020

On 27, 28 and 29 December 2020, the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 is taking place in all EU countries.

The vaccine, developed by BioNTech and Pfizer, received conditional marketing authorisation from the European Commission on 21 December this year, following a positive scientific recommendation by the European Medicines Agency (EN), and subsequent endorsement by the EU Member States.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said: "We approved the first safe and effective vaccine against COVID-19. This is our first vaccine. More will be approved soon." She also declared: "This vaccine will be available for all EU countries, at the same time, on the same conditions. So vaccination can start at the same time, during the European Union vaccination days: we are in this together. This is a very good way to end this difficult year, and to finally start turning the page on COVID-19".

The vaccination campaign in Italy

On 26 December 2020, 9,750 doses of Pfizer-Biontech vaccine from Belgium were delivered to the Spallanzani Hospital of Rome, to be then picked up by the Army and distributed to all the other regions, to allow the whole Country to join the EU Vaccination Days.

The subsequent doses of Pfizer, as required by the national vaccination plan, will be delivered directly by the pharmaceutical company to the 300 dispensing sites identified by the Extraordinary Commissioner in agreement with the Regions.

As recalled in a note issued by the Italian Ministry of Health, the doses delivered to all Member States on 27 December are in 'symbolic' amount. The actual distribution is starting on 28 December and Italy is goint to receive around 470,000 doses every week.

Healthcare provides in the Spallanzani Hospital were inoculated the first doses of vaccine on Sunday morning 27 Deember. (source: Italy's Ministry of Health)