The French government, under pressure for lagging behind EU neighbours in rolling out Covid vaccinations, promised to dispense jabs much more quickly and catch up, AFP reported.

Health Minister Olivier Veran said more than 2,000 people had been vaccinated on Monday and that the “cruising speed of vaccinations will catch up with our neighbours in the coming days”.

The French campaign had rolled out just over 500 doses as of January 1, with critics calling that figure “a scandal” compared with the 200,000 people immunised in Germany in a similar timeframe, after the EU-wide rollout began a week ago.

“By Thursday we will increase numbers in a major way,” Veran told RTL radio, saying that “we will be on an exponential curve”.