Two-thirds of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine doses delivered to Belgium have yet to be distributed to vaccination centres, officials have admitted, as the country became the latest in Europe to report a sharp rise in coronavirus infections.
Belgium said infections were up 24% compared with the previous week, at a daily average of 2,300. All age groups were affected except for over-80s, who have been prioritised for vaccinations.
The development appears to be part of a worrying trend for health authorities across the EU, with the European Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC) reporting that as of last Sunday 13 countries had seen a week-on-week rise in infection rates. Angela Merkel said this week that Germany was heading into a third wave.