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Sluggish Vaccinations Prompt Rising Dismay in Europe

Jamie Dettmer

   The rollout of COVID vaccinations in Europe isn't going as smoothly as
   officials hoped, with critics saying governments didn't prepare
   sufficiently for the inevitable procurement and logistical challenges
   in what amounts to the biggest mass inoculation campaign ever seen.

   A series of logistical missteps marred the first week of the European
   Union's vaccine strategy, say critics, prompting public frustration
   with the pace of inoculations. French President Emanuel Macron has
   castigated his own ministers for the painfully slow start of France's
   inoculation effort, which saw only 400 people receive their initial
   Pfizer-Biontech jab in the first week the program started.

   Critics say European governments should learn from Israel, which has
   moved fast with its mass vaccination program and already has
   administered first jabs to 17% of the country's population of nine
   million. Israeli officials say centralized hubs have allowed for the
   quick distribution of vaccines, and the support of the Israeli army has
   also been crucial. They also say inbuilt competition between health
   care providers within the public medical system has also helped to
   quicken vaccinations.

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