Inoculation in Cyprus is to start on Sunday but the pace is expected to be slow since vaccines are to be distributed in very small batches throughout all EU countries.
In fact, the general population should not expect to be vaccinated before April, Philenews reported on Thursday.
In a symbolic move, the first batch of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines will be delivered to all member states on Boxing Day, December 26, and will only include about 9,000 doses. That is, enough to inoculate some 4,500 people.
Vaccines will be arriving in Cyprus in very small doses and on a weekly basis throughout January. The next batch should include 6,500 doses, Â that is 3,250 vaccines.
Cyprus has already been informed that it will only receive 86% of the quantities originally ordered.
And this means that, unless the timetables change again either by the manufacturer or the bloc, Cyprus will be able to vaccinate about 50,000 people by the end of March.
Two special refrigerators where the vaccines will be stored arrived in Cyprus over the weekend. These mRNA vaccines require storage at -75 degrees Celsius.
