EU says it has enough shots to meet 70% vaccination goal in July

The European Union says it now has enough doses to meet its goal of vaccinating 70 per cent of the region's adult population by the end of this month.

With infections resurging in many European countries, the next challenge will be ensuring that the doses find takers, as demand wanes in some areas. According to the European Centre for Disease Control, 44 per cent of the adult EU population is fully vaccinated, and 64 per cent have received at least one dose.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Saturday that by Sunday 500 million doses will have been delivered to all regions of the 27-nation EU. She urged member countries to do everything to increase vaccinations.

So far EU countries have administered 386 million doses for the overall population of 447 million, according to the ECDC. While Europe's vaccination campaign is more advanced than most of the world, the pace within the EU varies widely, with just 17% of Bulgaria's adult population having received a first dose compared with 81 per cent in Belgium.