Portugal is leading the Council Presidency in the European Parliament and Ana Paula Zacarias is representing the Head of the Council. Ms Zacarias called for the trading bloc to improve the quality of information given to citizens regarding the coronavirus vaccine rollout programme.
She said: “We need to put more effort into communication, citizens have the right to factual information and we need to convey such information as clearly as possible.”
Ms Zacarias also outlined the disruption a dispute with coronavirus vaccine manufacturer AstraZeneca has caused, labelling it a serious concern.
She said: “We knew that during the first stage of our vaccine campaigns the number of vaccines would be limited.
“This is why we had to prioritise certain groups like the elderly and health care workers in our national vaccination strategies.
“But the recent news of delay in deliveries from some producers is a source of concern to which we must react in real-time.
“Vaccine production is a complex process, especially at this unprecedented scale.”
Ms Zacarias continued: “The truth is that companies may have overestimated their production capacities.
“We need to make sure that companies respect the contracts that are signed and deliver on their commitments.
“Countries need to know how many vaccines are available and by when to plan their vaccination campaigns.
“We need this data to work, it is crucial.”
More to follow…