Italy aims to vaccinate at least 80% of the population by the end of September

ROME (Reuters) – Italy on Saturday announced plans to vaccinate at least 80% of its population by the end of September, following criticism of the slow rollout of a vaccination campaign against the coronavirus in one of the most affected countries in Europe.

Francesco Paolo Figliuolo, army general and new special commissioner for the coronavirus, has published a national plan to administer 500,000 doses per day at full capacity, according to a cabinet document.

Italy has recorded 101,881 deaths since the outbreak of the epidemic in the country in February 2020, the second highest death toll in Europe after Britain and the seventh in the world. To date, it has reported 3.2 million cases of infection.

Some 1.95 million Italians, or just 3.8% of the eligible population, have so far received two injections of the vaccine, prompting public criticism over the slow deployment and the appointment of Figliuolo.

Italy expects to receive an increasing number of vaccines, with total deliveries rising from 15.7 million doses in the first quarter to 52.5 million between April and June to a peak of 84.9 million in the third quarter, says the document.

It plans to expand healthcare operators administering injections by strengthening an existing agreement to employ family doctors and bringing in dentists, young doctors, doctors from the Italian Federation of Sports Medicine and others.

In addition to health facilities already operational as vaccination points, Italy will use military barracks, production sites, large-scale outlets, gymnasiums, schools and Catholic church facilities.

Just under 51 million Italians are eligible for the vaccine and 60% of them could be vaccinated by the end of July, reaching the first threshold for collective immunity, the document said.

Patheon Thermo Fischer, part of U.S.-listed Thermo Fischer Scientific, is ready to start mass production of a COVID-19 vaccine in Italy, a government source said on Friday.