Gibraltar becomes the first nation in the world to fully vaccinate its entire adult population as all 33,000 get jabbed
- Gibraltar is home to 33,000 people and has had 4,263 cases and 94 deaths
- Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed the milestone and praised the island
- Chief Minister Fabian Picardo also thanked the UK government for its support
Gibraltar has become the first nation in the world to fully vaccinate its entire adult population.
Speaking in the House of Commons today, Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed that the British territory hit the milestone on Wednesday.
Gibraltar is home to 33,000 people and has had 4,263 cases as well as 94 deaths.
Mr Hancock told the Commons: ‘I am delighted to be able to tell the house that yesterday, Gibraltar became the first nation in the world to complete its entire adult vaccination programme.
Gibraltar is home to 33,000 people and has had 4,263 cases of coronavirus as well as 94 deaths
‘I want to pay tribute to all Gibraltarians for their fortitude during this crisis and the kind words of first minister Fabian Picardo, who said yesterday ‘the United Kingdom has played a blinder on vaccinations and we are among the beneficiaries in the British family of nations’.
‘I agree, the vaccination programme has been a success thanks to a team spirit across the British family of nations.’
Chief Minister Fabian Picardo thanked the UK government for its support of the island’s vaccination drive.
He said: ‘We have felt the real support of the United Kingdom in the provision of PPE, testing and the sovereign guarantee for our Covid spending.
‘But, perhaps, most importantly with the provision at no cost to Gibraltar of the Covid vaccine in quantities that enables me to say today that Gibraltar will be the first nation to complete a whole nation vaccination programme.’
Mr Hancock added: ‘Throughout the crisis, we have provided Gibraltar with PPE, testing and a sovereign guarantee for their Covid spending.
Speaking in the House of Commons today, Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed Gibraltar had vaccinated all adults
‘We have also provided Gibraltar with vaccines, as we have with all other British overseas territories.’
Gibraltar’s success comes amid vaccine chaos in next-door Spain and the rest of Europe.
Supply problems, bureaucratic health systems and stashes of unused AstraZeneca shots left the EU languishing behind Britain in the vaccine race.
The EU is threatening to block shipments to Britain as it plays hardball over supplies, prompting anger in Whitehall with cabinet minister Robert Jenrick saying today he was ‘surprised and disappointed’ by Brussels’ stance.
But Europe is struggling to shift the jabs that it does have – with former Finnish PM Alexander Stubb claiming that 40 per cent of the vaccines bought by the EU are ‘laying around in various storage in European member states’.