The first vaccinations in the European Union against Covid-19 could take place in the first quarter of 2021 in an optimistic scenario, the head of the EU health agency told AFP.

“I think optimistically first quarter next year, but I can't be more precise,” Andrea Ammon, the director of the Stockholm-based European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), said in an interview.

“Of course it's promising,” said Ammon, stressing that so far it is a “press release and not yet a (scientific) peer review, so we have to see what the final assessment will be".