Slow vaccination roll-out not a failure: PM

Prime Minister Sanna Marin in her first interview of the year said the slow roll-out of coronavirus vaccinations should not be considered a failure on the part of either the Finnish or the European authorities, reported the national broadcaster Yle.

“Vaccinations have only just begun, and only in the longer term can we assess how successful Finland and other countries in Europe were,” said Marin during her first media interview of the new year. “Personally, I would like the pace of vaccination to be faster, but I would not conclude at this point that it has failed in its entirety.”

The prime minister said in her opinion, the vaccination process is “a marathon, not a sprint” and vaccinations in Finland have progressed in line with the current strategy.

“It will probably be the summer before we achieve comprehensive vaccine protection for the entire population. It is also not enough to succeed in Finland alone, but to succeed everywhere,” added Marin.