Germany Renews Vaccine Plea as Europe Struggles to Contain Delta

Germany’s health minister stepped up his plea for as many people as possible to get a Covid-19 shot amid signs the vaccination drive across Europe is losing steam. Jens Spahn made the call on Wednesday as the spread of the delta variant threatens to spark a new wave of virus infections throughout the European Union. There are signs that other countries, including France, Italy, Switzerland and Austria, are also struggling to maintain the pace of shots. The slowdown suggests a growing risk that developed countries, including the U.S., could fall short of the vaccination rates needed to achieve herd immunity. The situation is being made worse because the delta strain is more transmissable than previous versions of the coronavirus.