Italy plans 202 million COVID-19 vaccine doses

Rome, Dec 2: Italy's health minister told lawmakers on Wednesday that Italy will distribute 202.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines during 2021 in "an unprecedented effort that will require a huge collective commitment.'' Robert Speranza said the vaccines will not be mandatory, but that the doses allotted Italy through an EU collective purchasing agreement would be "enough to potentially vaccinate the entire population."

Speranza emphasized that the distribution of the vaccines would depend on regulatory approval which was still pending from the European Medicines Agency. The first vaccines are expected to arrive in January with Pfizer's vaccine expected to get first EMA approval by Dec. 29 and Moderna by January 12.

Priority will be given first to Italy's front-line health care workers, then residents of nursing homes, then to elderly over 80 before moving to other groups like people with medical risks, law enforcement, teachers and prison workers.

Speranza said the vaccines provide "a message of hope" in the pandemic, which has killed more than 55,000 Italians, but that "prudence and caution are still needed."