NICOSIA — The mass vaccinations in the European Union are being rolled out, albeit in smaller numbers than first hoped for, with the elderly on Cyprus the first to get the injections beginning Dec. 27.

They are among the most susceptible to the Coronavirus, along with those with multiple or underlying conditions and the most at risk of being infected, becoming critically ill or perishing.

Pensioners at homes in the capital Nicosia and the towns of Larnaca and Limassol were the first to receive a shot of the two-dose vaccine, which arrived by air on Dec. 26, said Reuters, the country having recorded 19,391 cases and 111 deaths, among the lowest in the world after lockdowns were put in place fast.