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Poles aged 67-69 sign up for COVID-19 shots

18.03.2021 06:01
Poles who are 67 to 69 years old are now able to sign up to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as the country steps up its inoculation campaign.
Michał Dworczyk, the man in charge of Polands COVID-19 vaccination campaign.
Michał Dworczyk, the man in charge of Poland's COVID-19 vaccination campaign.Photo: PAP/Aleksander Koźmiński

Registration for those born between 1952 and 1954 opened at 6 a.m. on Thursday.

All citizens in this age group will receive the AstraZeneca vaccine, according to officials.

Later this month, those born in 1955 and 1956 will be able to follow suit.

People can send a text message to sign up for a shot. They can also go online to register or call a 989 vaccination hotline to schedule an appointment.

Direct reservations at vaccination sites are possible, but officials have advised people against visiting in person to limit the risk of exposure.

Poland hopes to vaccinate 60 to 70 percent of its population against the coronavirus by the autumn, Health Minister Adam Niedzielski has told the media.

On Monday, a fresh supply of around 380,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Poland, Deputy Health Minister Waldemar Kraska told the media.

Later this week, Poland expects to receive about 210,000 doses of a coronavirus vaccine developed by US drug maker Moderna and 65,000 doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford University shot, according to Michał Kuczmierowski, head of the Government Strategic Reserves Agency.

Frontline healthcare workers were first in line to be inoculated in Poland, followed by nursing home residents.

Other priority groups include the elderly, people with chronic health conditions, teachers, police, and soldiers.

Poland on Monday began administering COVID-19 vaccines to cancer patients and people suffering from various chronic diseases.

More than 6,000 vaccination sites are available to citizens as the country rolls out its COVID-19 inoculation programme, according to the prime minister's top aide, Michał Dworczyk, who is spearheading the drive.

(gs/pk)

Source: IAR, polskieradio24.pl