Yahoo Finance Several EU countries are now vaccinating faster than the UK
Several EU countries are now vaccinating their population against COVID-19 faster than the UK.
After a sluggish start to their vaccine rollout, many EU nations have picked up the pace.
Malta now has the fastest rate in the EU, with a seven-day average of 1.31 doses per 100 people every day, compared to 0.71 in the UK.
Other countries like Germany, Spain, Portugal and Belgium are also vaccinating at a faster pace than Britain, according to a graph from Our World in Data.
These are the EU countries vaccinating faster than the UK, and their seven-day average of new doses per 100 people:
Malta 1.31
Cyprus 1.14
Finland 0.93
Greece 0.91
Hungary 0.91
Lithuania 0.86
Germany 0.85 (10 May)
Belgium 0.84
Portugal 0.80
Spain 0.83 (10 May)
Italy 0.77
Poland 0.74
The UK’s cumulative rate of vaccinations per 100 people of 79.07 is still higher than most EU countries.
Only Malta has a higher overall rate with 88.99 as of Tuesday.
There was a significant reduction in the vaccine supply in the UK last month but vaccinations have begun to pick up again, with those aged 38-39 the latest to be invited for a jab.
The European Commission and EU countries came under fire for missteps in their vaccine rollout that lagged badly behind Israel, Britain and the US.
The bloc was criticised for being slower to negotiate contracts with vaccine manufacturers, and the EU's executive and drug regulator faced increasing pressure for what some consider slow vaccine approvals.
The focus on vaccinations as a critical tool to stopping the virus come amid concerns that the so-called 'Indian' variant is spreading at a worrying level in the UK.
Earlier this week, Dr Christina Pagel, director of the Clinical Operation Research Unit at University College London, warned that recent data shows transmission of the India variant is “incredibly concerning”.
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Speaking at a Downing Street press conference on Monday, England’s chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty admitted the UK must be “very careful” about the new variant.
He said it is possible the Indian variant is more transmissible than the Kent variant but added that scientists think the variant is less likely to be able to escape vaccination than some other variants.
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