Vatican City
AP
Vatican citizens, employees and their families will begin to receive the coronavirus vaccine early next year, according to Vatican News.
The head of the Vatican health service, Dr Andrea Arcangeli, says the Pfizer vaccine has been chosen, but others might be introduced later. Arcangeli says the Vatican health services planned a campaign to underline the importance of the vaccine, which can be administered to anyone over 18.
Pope Francis celebrates Mass on the occasion of the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, on Saturday, 12th December. PICTURE:Remo Casilli/Pool via AP.
The Vatican, a tiny city state of about 600 people in the centre of Rome, has beefed up its coronavirus measures amid a resurgence of the outbreak in Italy, including requiring protective masks indoors.
In October, a resident of the Vatican hotel where Pope Francis lives and several Swiss Guards tested positive.
Italy added another 649 coronavirus deaths Saturday, bringing its official total to 64,036 and just shy of Britain’s Europe-leading 64,123 dead.
Italy could overtake Britain despite having six million people fewer than the UK’s 66 million, and trails only the much larger US, Brazil, India and Mexico, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.
Italy has the most deaths per 100,000 population among the most affected countries. Italy has added nearly 29,000 dead since 1st September.
More than 1.8 million Italians have contracted the virus since the start of the pandemic. Health experts say the numbers reflect an underfunded health care system with few ICU beds, government delays in imposing restrictions and an elderly population.
