The Politico newspaper reported that European Union countries got rid of at least 215 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines purchased at the height of the pandemic, costing the budget 4 billion euros.
According to the publication, EU countries received a total of 1.5 billion doses of vaccines, and a significant portion of them ended up either discarded or concentrated in landfills across the continent.
The publication notes that most of the vaccines were purchased in 2021, when demand was highest. However, attempts to transfer the surplus to third countries have been unsuccessful due to decreased demand and logistical problems.
In May, WHO canceled the emergency regime, which had been in force since 2020 because of the pandemic.
Recall that earlier the Hermitage staff said that the attendance of the museum returned to pre-pandemic positions.