AP: U.K. gears up for huge vaccination plan watched by the world
“Shipments of the coronavirus vaccine developed by American drugmaker Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech were delivered Sunday in the U.K. in super-cold containers, two days before it goes public in an immunization program that is being closely watched around the world. Around 800,000 doses of the vaccine were expected to be in place for the start of the immunization program on Tuesday, a day that Health Secretary Matt Hancock has reportedly dubbed as ‘V-Day,’ a nod to triumphs in World War II…” (Pylas, 12/7).

AP: Moscow opens dozens of coronavirus vaccination centers
“The city of Moscow [is] opening 70 vaccination facilities where thousands of doctors, teachers, and others in high-risk groups had signed up to receive COVID-19 vaccines starting Saturday, a precursor to a sweeping Russia-wide immunization effort. The centers in the capital started giving shots to willing recipients three days after President Vladimir Putin ordered the launch of a ‘large-scale’ COVID-19 immunization campaign even though a Russian-designed vaccine has yet to complete the advanced studies needed to ensure its effectiveness and safety in line with established scientific protocols…” (Isachenkov, 12/5).

Additional coverage of coronavirus vaccination efforts in the U.K. and Russia is available from New York Times, NPR, VOA News, and Wall Street Journal.