As worldwide cases soar past 100 million, global governments are scrambling to get their hands on scarce vaccine supplies, with a bitter row erupting between Brussels and London over the AstraZeneca jab.
Catalonia's health chief also said the region had practically finished its reserve supplies, warning that within days "the refrigerators will be empty". By Tuesday afternoon, the central government had sent in emergency supplies and the campaign resumed. Nearly 1.4 million people have received at least one shot, while nearly 252,000 have had the second jab."Last week we received 50 percent of what we should have received and this week.. we're going to experience the same, so Madrid cannot continue vaccinating healthcare professionals," regional health chief Enrique Ruiz Escudero told MPs on Thursday.
"On the one hand, fewer vials or doses than expected are arriving. On the other hand, it was 'every man for himself' to avoid being last in the vaccination rankings," said Angela Hernandez, deputy head of Madrid's AMYTS doctors union.