Brussels Edition: Vaccine catch up

Welcome to the Brussels Edition, Bloomberg’s daily briefing on what matters most in the heart of the European Union.

We have some good news today for a change: after stumbling out of the gate, it appears that Europe is now shifting into a higher gear in deploying Covid-19 vaccines and is on pace to immunize its population faster than anticipated, thanks to new supply pacts and increased production. The EU may in fact vaccinate 75% of adult citizens by the end of August, more than a month earlier than previously forecast, according to the latest research. But this assumes everything goes according to plan, and with supplies due to double and then double again in the months ahead, it'll take an unprecedented effort by member states to administer the shots and convince skeptical members of the public they're safe and effective. The upside for the economy (and our sanity) from speedy vaccination is enormous, but the onus is now on governments to deliver.

— Nikos Chrysoloras