Germany will run up against limits on its capacity to inoculate people against Covid-19 by the end of March, health ministry documents showed, as an expected increase in supply puts its network of vaccination centres to the test.

Around 2.4 million people have been vaccinated in Germany, or 2.9 per cent of the population, since it started vaccinations in December, health ministry data showed.

Initial shortages should give way in the second quarter to more abundant supply, when Germany expects to receive 77m vaccine doses. Chancellor Angela Merkel has promised shots to all adults who want one by the end of the summer.

To reach this target, vaccinations will be offered at general practitioners’ clinics, working in parallel with the existing network of more than 400 vaccination centres, the plan document read.