Germany catches up with US in vaccination drive

BERLIN - Germany has caught up with the United States in terms of the proportion of the population having had one shot of COVID-19 vaccine, the health minister said on Wednesday, adding the more infectious Delta variant meant it was important to keep up the pace.

The German government came under fire for the sluggish start to its vaccination campaign earlier this year, particularly in comparison with countries such as the United States, and Britain but it has since ramped up quickly. Minister Jens Spahn said 55% of the population had now received a first vaccine, while 37% has had both shots.