In Europe, Belgium said Saturday (April 24) that it would authorize the Johnson & Johnson shot for all adults, having already received 36,000 doses and expecting a total of 1.4 million between April and June.
The European Union as a whole said it would have enough vaccines to immunize 70% of its adult population by the end of July.
A 91-year-old British grandmother, Margaret Keenan, who on December 8 became the first person in the Western world to get an approved coronavirus vaccine, urged people to get inoculated.
“It really is the best thing I’ve ever done,” she said. “I’m telling everyone to go and get it … I hope everyone comes forward.”
But despite the optimism, the threat of the virus remains ever-present, with Germany implementing tougher new lockdown rules, including night curfews and school closures, after the government passed a disputed new law designed to slow infections.
The controversial new rules — passed this week amid huge protests in Berlin — will apply in all regions with incidence rates of more than 100 new infections per 100,000 people over the last seven days. (VOA) -jlo
