Spain`s elderly will get Covid-19 vaccine first 

Elderly residents and staff in nursing homes will be the first to get vaccinated against the coronavirus in Spain, starting as early as January, Health Minister Salvador Illa said on Tuesday (Nov 24), unveiling a national vaccination plan.

Other healthcare workers will be next in line, with a total of 18 groups of citizens being, one after the other, allowed to get the vaccine in one of 13,000 local public health centers.

Spain expects to cover a substantial part of the population within the first six months of 2021.

“The COVID-19 vaccine will be free,” Illa told a news conference, adding vaccination would not be compulsory. “We’re convinced that a vaccine is better accepted if it’s voluntary.”

The government hopes to get the first doses in January, he said, but availability will be limited for the first few months.

The government’s aim is for 2.5 million priority people - nursing home staff, the elderly and other vulnerable persons - to be vaccinated in a first phase. Illa said the government would spell out later who the other priority groups would be.

A dedicated registry will record who has been vaccinated, and make sure people get the second dose for vaccines that require it._Reuters