One billion shots have been taken against the coronavirus in both Europe and India. In India, that milestone was reached on Thursday after the World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that the “amazing achievement” had been achieved on the European continent.
According to the WHO, on the European continent, with 53 countries, including Turkey, Russia and Ukraine, this means that about a third of the population is fully vaccinated. However, to get the virus under complete control, at least 70 percent of the population must be fully vaccinated. There are also “regional differences to overcome,” the WHO reported.
In India, where almost 1.4 billion people live, three-quarters of the population has now had one vaccination. About 30 percent are fully vaccinated.
A severe corona wave hit India in April and May; as a result, more than 400,000 infections were reported daily, and 4,000 people died from the effects of the virus. However, the number of infections has now fallen to 15,000 per day, and daily life has largely returned to normal.
China is the world leader in vaccination, with 2.3 billion vaccinations.