The European Union has now vaccinated more people against COVID-19 with a first dose than the United States, data released on Saturday shows.

       55.7% of EU citizens have received a first jab as of Saturday, compared to 55.5% of Americans, according to Our World in Data.

       French Deputy Minister for European Affairs Clément Beaune tweeted the figures on Saturday and hailed the achievement. "We're carrying on, we speeding up!" he wrote.

       The new data comes after the 27-nation bloc has for months faced sharp criticism for the slow start of its vaccination campaign amid delivery delays and logistical problems.

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       The US remains ahead of the EU when it comes to full vaccination, with respectively 48.1% and 42.5% of their populations inoculated with two doses as of Saturday.