Record COVID-19 Fatality Count On 30/3 Despite Fastest Jab Rate In EU

Hungarian authorities recorded 302 COVID-19-related fatalities on Tuesday 30 March, this despite the country having the fastest rate of vaccination for the virus of any EU member state.

• Hungary's rapid vaccination effort (standing at 27.01 doses administered per 100/population, compared to an EU average of 15.69) comes following Prime Minister Viktor Orban's decision to unilaterally procure doses of vaccine from Russia and China without waiting for EMA approval (causing significant resentment and displeasure among many other EU member state leaders).
• However, even with a rapid vaccination effort, it takes a couple of weeks for immunity to build up in those vaccinated. Moreover, the country experienced a spike in infections leading to a stricter lockdown in the first weeks of March, meaning that the unfortunate fatalities from this spike are only just coming through in the data.
• As such, the high fatality count, while tragic, is likely to decline in the weeks ahead as both the early-March lockdown and the rapid vaccination effort begins to take effect in the number of new cases.