CORONAVIRUS VACCINATIONS might not be universally available until as late as 2022, according to the European Union.
Due to a fears of an insufficient amount of doses, EU officials warned that only part of the continent's population will be able to have access to the vaccine straight away, should one be produced in the coming months.
Collectively, European Union nations have a population of 450 million.
The EU has booked more than one billion doses of potential Covid -19 vaccines from three drugmakers, and is currently negotiating the advance purchase of another billion vials with other companies, but this likely won't be enough according to insiders.
"There will not be sufficient doses of Covid -19 vaccines for the entire population before the end of 2021," a European Commission official told diplomats from EU states in a closed-door meeting on Monday.
Despite the fact that the EU has secured more than a billion doses for a population of less than half a billion, experts warn that not every potential vaccine may prove to be effective.
In the early stages of any potential vaccines, access to it will be limited. As such, the EU Commission has for months urged European governments to devise vaccination plans that would prioritise vulnerable and essential groups, such as healthcare workers, the elderly or people with chronic diseases.
The Commission added that no effective Covid-19 vaccine was available yet, but they are hoping at least one will be by the beginning of next year.
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