'World's 4th Largest COVID-19 Infected Country' France, Half of the Population Received First Vaccine Dose

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] France, which ranks fourth in the world for cumulative COVID-19 cases, has completed the first dose of vaccination for more than half of its population.

On the 29th (local time), the French Ministry of Health announced that more than 33,533,728 people, equivalent to 50% of the adult population in France, have completed the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. It has been six months since vaccinations began on December 27 last year, targeting residents and staff of nursing homes aged 65 and older.

Since May 12 this year, virtually anyone aged 18 and older has been able to make vaccination appointments, and from the 15th, adolescents aged 12 to 17 have also been eligible for vaccination.

In France, where about 60,000 people tested positive for COVID-19 daily last fall, the number of new confirmed cases has recently decreased to between 1,000 and 2,000. France’s cumulative COVID-19 cases stand at 5,772,844, ranking fourth worldwide, and cumulative deaths are 111,057, ranking ninth globally.

However, the French government has also expressed concerns about infections caused by the Delta variant. The Delta variant, which is spreading rapidly worldwide, accounts for about 20% of new COVID-19 cases in France.

Olivier V?ran, Minister of Health, said on France Info radio, "Although the absolute number of Delta variant infections has not increased, its proportion is rising, and it is gradually becoming dominant."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.