People walk near the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium, May 19, 2021.(Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)
According to the latest data of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, 54.7 percent of the adult population was fully vaccinated with either two vaccine doses, or one -- in the case of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
BRUSSELS, July 22 (Xinhua) -- More than half of the adult population in the European Union (EU), equivalent to over 200 million people, are fully vaccinated, a European Commission spokeswoman said on Thursday.
Dana Spinant, deputy chief spokesperson of the European Commission, told journalists during the daily briefing that according to the latest data of the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, 54.7 percent of the adult population was fully vaccinated with either two vaccine doses or one dose in the case of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
"We have 68.4 percent of adults in the EU who have received their first dose. So we are making very significant progress. We are among those parts of the world that have vaccinated most of their citizens, but of course, it is paramount to ensure that this is evenly shared so that we do not have areas where the virus can propagate and mutate," said Spinant.
A woman walks into a COVID-19 test and vaccination center in Brussels, Belgium, on May 4, 2021. (Xinhua/Zheng Huansong)
The European Commission has set its target to vaccinate at least 70 percent of its adult population by this summer.
Meanwhile, the Commission announced through a statement that Team Europe, including the EU, its institutions and all 27 member states, will donate at least 200 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccines to low- and middle-income countries by the end of the year.
"Team Europe takes its responsibility in helping the world fight the virus, everywhere. Vaccination is key -- that's why it is essential to ensure access to COVID-19 vaccines to countries worldwide," President of the Commission Ursula von der Leyen was quoted as saying.
People wait to receive the COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center in Nice, southern France, on April 10, 2021. (Photo by Serge Haouzi/Xinhua)■
