Italy kicks off vaccinations against COVID-19 in Rome Health Reuters Staff ROME (Reuters) - Almost 10 months after the first Italian patient tested positive for the new coronavirus, Italy on Sunday vaccinated the first residents against COVID-19.
Claudia Alivernini, one of the first recipients of Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in Italy, receives her vaccination at the Spallanzani hospital in this screengrab taken from a video, in Rome, Italy December 27, 2020. Ministero della Salute/Handout via REUTERS
Nurse Claudia Alivernini speaks next to Health Minister Roberto Speranza during a news conference after receiving a vaccine against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) as the country begins vaccinations, at the Spallanzani hospital in Rome, Italy, December 27, 2020. REUTERS/Remo Casilli
By RAYMOND COLITT, CHIARA ALBANESE AND JAMES REGAN | Bloomberg News (Tribune News Service) | Published: December 28, 2020
Stars and Stripes is making stories on the coronavirus pandemic available free of charge. See other free reports here. Sign up for our daily coronavirus newsletter here. Please support our journalism with a subscription. Germany is pushing to ramp up production of COVID-19 vaccines as Europe faces pressure to close the gap with Britain and the U.S. in a bid for an end to the pandemic. With inoculations gradually getting started across the region, authorities are concerned the slow pace of the rollout could force longer lockdowns and cause more economic damage for months to come. Across Europe, more than 400,000 people have died from the virus, which has infected 16.2 million and continues to spread.
Europe rushes to boost vaccine output to speed up pandemic exit wenatcheeworld.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from wenatcheeworld.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
U.S. Cases Slow in Holiday Amid Warnings of Worse: Virus Update Bloomberg 12/27/2020
(Bloomberg)
Top U.S. health officials warned of a post-Christmas surge in infection, as new cases slowed amid scattered holiday reporting from states. Total infections passed 19 million. New York state’s new infections dipped, as did holiday testing. North Carolina hospitalizations hit a record, while South Carolina reported record infections.
A coordinated vaccination campaign was underway in Europe, just days after the EU cleared a shot developed by Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech SE. Italy and France were among the first of the bloc’s 27 member states to start inoculations. In Germany, which began a day early, the rollout was postponed in some cities after doubts emerged about whether the shots had been kept cold enough during transit.