15th December, 2020
Poland has so far contracted some 60 million doses of coronavirus vaccines.
The European country got doses from five suppliers and plans to launch its nationwide vaccination programme in the first quarter of 2021.
Its vaccination plan was approved on Tuesday.
In line with earlier declarations, the vaccine will be voluntary and free of charge.
Absolute priority in vaccinations will be given to medical staff, nursing home staff and hospital administrative employees.
Next in line will be citizens over 60 years of age, nursing home pensioners, the military as well as teachers.
The goal is to vaccinate as high a percentage of the population as possible, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said during a news conference in Warsaw, without quantifying the target.
According to comments in early December by Health Minister Adam Niedzielski, the target the prime minister had set was 70-80 per cent of the population.
During the conference, government officials urged Poles to stay home during the Christmas and upcoming school winter holidays.
While the pace of new coronavirus infections has declined in recent days, Poland still faces “tough weeks and months’’ and a third wave of the pandemic is a real risk,’’ Niedzielski said on Tuesday.
“We cannot allow vaccinations to take place during an escalating pandemic,’’ the official said.
“The number of infections has stabilised in the vicinity of 10,000 (daily), which is an immense number, putting pressure on the health-care system,’’ Niedzielski said.
dpa/NAN