“Now it’s time for the great challenge - the implementation of a National Vaccination Programme for COVID-19," said Morawiecki, whose country has a population of around 38 million. COVID-19 has killed more than 20,000 in Poland.
Morawiecki was speaking as officials released details of the vaccination project, with which Poland aims to make its population resilient to the virus in 2021.
The head of the prime minister’s office, Michał Dworczyk, said: "This is the greatest and key challenge for Poland next year."
Proszę Państwa! Na chwilę obecną mamy już zarezerwowanych i zakupionych ponad 60 000 000 dawek szczepionek od 6...
Opublikowany przez Mateusz Morawiecki Wtorek, 8 grudnia 2020
Dworczyk told reporters that vaccinations would start in January, but the exact date depended on the producers.
"Until the manufacturer obtains all approvals for these vaccines to be used in the EU, we will not start the distribution and vaccination programme," he added.
Morawiecki, meanwhile, said last week his country could start free, voluntary, two-stage vaccinations against the coronavirus in February.
Some 8,000 vaccination sites are expected to be set up across Poland as it prepares to roll out its COVID-19 immunization programme, Dworczyk has previously announced.
The government will launch a public awareness campaign, complete with a special hotline and website with detailed information on available vaccines and the immunization procedure, Dworczyk told reporters at the time.
Poland on Tuesday reported 8,312 new coronavirus infections and 411 more deaths, bringing its total number of cases to 1,076,180 and fatalities to 20,592.
On Thursday, November 19, the country reported 637 new deaths, its worst daily toll since the start of the pandemic.
On Saturday, November 7, the Polish health ministry reported a record 27,875 new single-day cases, the most since the pandemic hit the country in early March.
(pk)
Source: PAP