No free choice of vaccine planned - official

There will be no free choice of coronavirus vaccine, all currently available are equally effective, a top government official said on Thursday.

Michał Dworczyk, the prime minister's chief of staff, told a press conference that Poland's vaccination programme did not foresee a free choice of vaccine.

"They all provide equal protection against Covid-19 complications," Dworczyk said. "The system has not and will not enable (patients - PAP) to choose their vaccine when they register."

Dworczyk said that the predominant use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in recent weeks was due to diminished supplies of the Pfizer and Moderna ones. He added, however, that today Poland has more Pfizer than AstraZeneca vaccines, so "these proportions are now different."

According to media rumours, vaccination points in Poland have been told they can use the Pfizer vaccine alongside the AstraZeneca one to inoculate patients under 70. Until now, the Pfizer vaccine was reserved for older age groups.

The Polish government has said it wants to vaccinate 20 million people in the second quarter of this year.