Under fire, France pledges speedier vaccination rollout

Under fire for a glacially slow rollout of coronavirus vaccine shots, France’s government pledged Thursday to pick up pace, offering quicker iculation to a broader array of health care workers starting next week.

President Emmanuel Macron also intervened in what was becoming an increasingly sharp debate about slow start of vaccinations against virus in France. Macron used his traditional New Year’s address to nation Thursday night to promise that he will personally ensure re is unnecessary heel-dragging.

French leader said he would t allow “an unjustified slowness, for bad reasons, to take root.”

Before Macron spoke, his health minister tweeted that shots would be offered from Monday to health care workers d 50 and over.

Only a few hundred people received vaccines against coronavirus in days after a 78-year-old in a long-term care facility got first shot on Sunday.

Consent requirements have slowed process. Officials were also treading cautiously because of widespread skepticism in France around safety of rapidly developed vaccines.

But critics increasingly are accusing health officials of being overly cautious.

National Academy of Medicine said slow start "is difficult to defend.”

France has reported virus-related deaths of more than 64,000 people since start of pandemic.

Im credits: AP