Angela Merkel will receive her first dose of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine on Friday.
Another high-profile European leader, EU Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen, on Thursday tweeted her pleasure at being inoculated.
Ms Von Der Leyen had the Pfizer vaccine but the decision of Germany's long-serving chancellor to use AstraZeneca's is a strong public endorsement for the under-fire jab.
A stream of countries limited its use to certain cohorts or banned it completely following a global blood clotting furore.
In Germany only those over 60 can be inoculated with AstraZeneca – a criterion the 66-year-old Ms Merkel meets.
On Wednesday, Denmark announced it would ban the vaccine's deployment permanently.
The Scandinavian country's decision drew a trenchant rebuke on Thursday from Sir John Bell, regius professor of medicine at the UK's University of Oxford and one of those behind its formulation. He warned many Danish lives could be lost as a result.
"The first most important issue is these events are extremely rare, but if you get Covid you will have a very much higher risk of getting a clotting problem. The clotting problem is trivial compared with the risks of getting Covid,” he said.
Taking the opposite approach to the Danes is Cyprus. Its entire cabinet was inoculated with the AstraZeneca vaccine on Thursday in an attempt to win over a wavering Cypriot public.
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
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What are the regulations?
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Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
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Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
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Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
