Spain expects to receive first virus vaccines in January

Spain expects to receive its first coronavirus vaccines around January 4, Health Minister Salvador Illa said Monday.

The European Medicines Agency will "most likely" give the green light for the Pfizer-BioNTech jab by December 29, Illa said.

"The vaccines will not all arrive on January 4, or January 5. They will arrive gradually, as they are made," the minister said.

Spain plans to vaccinate elderly residents and staff in nursing homes first, then health workers and other vulnerable people such as the elderly and people with underlying health conditions.

The minister said that by May or June Spain could have around 15 million people out of its population of 47 million vaccinated against the virus.

Madrid has reached supply deals to receive 140 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines, enough to immunise 80 million people, the health minister said.

Any leftover vaccines will be given to neighbouring nations that need them, he added.

Spain has been one of the worst-affected countries in Europe, by the pandemic with more than 1.7 million infections and over 47,000 deaths.