Angela Merkel promises Covid vaccine to all in Germany by October

Bavarian state leader Markus Soder demands granting early approval for Russian and Chinese vaccines

Senior doctor Markus Keim and medical staff colleagues examine a patient on the Covid-19 intensive care unit of the Klinikum Rechts der Isar hospital in Munich, southern Germany. AFP

An employee packs FFP2 masks at a SWS Medicare factory in Altheim near Landshut, Germany. Reuters

A passenger walks through a terminal at the international airport in Frankfurt. The German government has increased the border controls for some flights. AP Photo

A police officer talks to a driver while people, many of them Czechs on their daily commute to their workplace in Germany, wait in line for a rapid Covid-19 test near the Czech-Germany border. Getty Images

People wait to receive the coronavirus vaccine at a temporary vaccination centre at the International Fair in Poznan, Poland. Reuters

A Covid-19 testing facility at the Spoor Oost site in Antwerp, Belgium, where city authorities are asking some 6500 of its inhabitants who live in districts with infection rates higher than average to get tested. AFP

A health worker takes a swab sample at a drive-through covid testing site at La Fe Hospital in Valencia, Spain. EPA

A worker sweeps the floor of a restaurant which is closing due to a curfew in Madrid, Spain. Reuters

A man on a scooter wearing a face mask in the Trastevere neighborhood in Rome, Italy. EPA

A 'Corazzieri', member of the presidential military corps, stands prior to the arrival of Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte at The Presidential Quirinale Palace in Rome. AFP

A senior citizen receives a coronavirus vaccine at the Theatre de Verdure in Nice, France, which has been transformed into a vaccination centre. Reuters

A woman, wearing a protective face mask, walks past Champs Elysees avenue near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France. Reuters

People walk in the passage Pommeraye in Nantes, France. Reuters

A view shows the deserted Pont de Bir-Hakeim Bridge and the Eiffel Tower during a nationwide curfew, from 6pm to 6am, in Paris, France. Reuters

Angela Merkel pledged that Germany's entire population will be offered a Covid-19 vaccine shot by October, as long as drug makers abide by their delivery commitments.

The German chancellor also defended the European Union's comparatively slow distribution of vaccines, lagging behind Israel, the UK and the US.

She held a meeting with German state governors and pharmaceutical industry giants on Tuesday as they sought to speed up the country's vaccine distribution.

At the meeting, Markus Soder, the state premier of Bavaria, called for accelerating approval for the Russian and Chinese vaccines.

Ms Merkel said Covid-19 inoculations could become a regular occurrence in the future and may be necessary “for many years to come”.

"It's similar to the flu vaccine, where you re-vaccinate against the new mutation of the virus every time," she said.

Ms Merkel said the EU had been careful not to rush emergency approval for vaccines – seen elsewhere, including in the UK – to strengthen public confidence.

"It is true that in some areas the pace became slower but there were good reasons for it to be slower".

Ms Merkel said the EU had at times negotiated "for a very long time" to ensure pharmaceutical companies took on enough liability.

Germany's Health Minister Jens Spahn warned of a tough period coming into April if vaccine shortages persist.

“Money, which we would make available very rapidly, is not the limiting factor,” Mr Spahn told ARD TV. “There will be an appreciable increase in the amount of vaccines only in the second quarter.”

To date, Germany has administered 2.8 doses of Covid vaccine in every 100 people, compared with 9.7 in the US and more than 14 in the UK.