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Poles in non-priority groups can sign up for COVID-19 shots from Jan. 15: minister

23.12.2020 13:02
Poles who are not in priority groups will be able to sign up for COVID-19 shots from January 15, Health Minister Adam Niedzielski said on Wednesday.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Image by Gerd Altmann from PixabayPixabay licence

The first batch of coronavirus vaccines are expected to arrive in the country on Saturday and the first 10,000 Polish citizens will be inoculated a day later.

Priority will be given to healthcare staff, followed by pensioners in care homes, people over 60, police, soldiers and teachers.

Niedzielski said that people not in those groups could register for shots from January 15 by ringing a 989 hotline.

They will also be able to sign up for vaccinations at local health centres or via an electronic form, he added.


Health Minister Adam Niedzielski. Photo: PAP/Marcin Obara
Health Minister Adam Niedzielski. Photo: PAP/Marcin Obara

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) on Monday recommended conditional approval for a coronavirus vaccine produced by US pharmaceutical firm Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech for use across the European Union.

The decision by the EU regulator was later in the day greenlighted by the bloc’s executive, the European Commission.

Poland on Wednesday reported 12,361 new coronavirus infections and 472 more deaths, bringing its total number of cases to 1,226,883 and fatalities to 26,255.

Polish officials said on Tuesday they expected nearly 600,000 coronavirus vaccines to reach their country by the first week of January.

Poland plans to spend PLN 3 billion (EUR 675m, USD 820m) on over 60 million doses of coronavirus vaccines under a national inoculation programme adopted by the government.

(pk)

Source: PAP