Yesterday, Italy Started Covid-19 Vaccination In Rome

Illustration (Pixabay)

JAKARTA - Sunday, December 27, Italy began giving its residents an injection of the anti-COVID-19 vaccine, nearly 10 months after the country's first patient tested positive for the new coronavirus.

Reported by Antara on Monday, December 28, the first series of vaccinations took place in the Italian capital, Rome, when three health workers at the Roma Spallanzani hospital were injected with vaccines made by Pfizer and BioNTech just before 07.00 GMT, according to a statement from the commissioner for the epidemic, Domenico Arcuri.

"The vaccine is working very well and this is an interesting historic moment," 29-year-old nurse Claudia Alivernini told state television RAINEWS24.

"This is the beginning of the end and I hope to be the first among more than 60 million Italians."

Thursday, December 24, Italy became the eighth country in the world to surpass the two million officially recorded cases of COVID-19.

Overall, the country recorded 70,909 deaths, the highest number of victims in Europe and the fifth highest in the world.

Vaccines will be provided free of charge and health workers and parents will be the first to be offered the vaccine voluntarily.

Hungary and Slovakia kicked off their vaccination movement on Saturday, December 26 while other EU countries joined Italy in launching injections starting Sunday, December 28, as the pandemic surged across the continent.

About 9,750 doses have arrived in Italy and another 470,000 are expected to arrive from next week, the health ministry said.

"Today is a symbolic day that should give a picture of the beauty of Europe that has bought vaccines for everyone and distributed them," said Commissioner Arcuri.

To help with the spread of the vaccine, temporary solar health care pavilions will appear on city squares across the country.

The pavilion is designed to look like a primrose with five petals, which is a symbol of spring.