'COVID vaccine needs to be distributed well, but faster' - Bernard Grech

Opposition leader Bernard Grech is calling for a swifter COVID vaccine roll-out, after nursing union MUMN threatened industrial action following administrative shortcomings in various healthcare centres.

"We're quickly realising what a slow vaccine rollout we have. Everyday experts are saying that we are not prepared. Government needs to stop saying we have a plan when we don't," he said. 

Some argue that it's better for the roll-out to be done slowly and properly. Countering this, Grech said that an effective roll-out doesn't negate a speedy one. 

"As a party, we want this vaccine to be distributed well, but faster. Our nurses and doctors are capable of distributing it well and fast, but only if they’re organised well," he said.

The Nationalist Party had previously called for more transparency throughout the vaccination strategy, saying that it is unclear whether the programme is being coodinated by the Health Department, Health Ministry, or Mater Dei Hospital. 

On Thursday, the party's COVID action team said that there was further lack of transparency in the number of vaccines that have arrived in Malta, and how many have been administered in total. 

Since then, the Health Ministry announced that they will be publishing vaccination statistics every day in parallel to the daily COVID bulletin.

MaltaToday had found that only 260 elderly residents in care homes had received the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine between the 7 and 12 January, with inoculation processes having started in only five of 37 facilities across Malta.