“Those who do not comply with the vaccination rules must be punished ", declared António Costa at the end of a visit to the health units of Alvalade and Parque, in Lisbon, after being confronted by journalists with situations of abuse and non-compliance with priorities in the process of vaccination against covid-19.

With the Minister of Health, Marta Temido, and the Secretary of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Duarte Cordeiro, at his side, the Prime Minister also tried to send a message that there is no anxiety about this vaccination process. "There is something that is fundamental: It is not worth having an excess of anxiety, nor is it worth rushing to the health care units to ask for the vaccine. Each one will be contacted in order to receive the vaccine at the right moment", he stressed.

António Costa said he considered it essential that the criteria that technical authorities and health authorities define as health priorities are respected. "Let us trust what doctors and health professionals tell us," he said.

The prime minister also maintained that in Portugal, for decades, vaccination were seen as "a fundamental step for disease control". "This has been the case for generations. This has allowed us to greatly improve the results achieved in health. This is another vaccine that we will have to get," he added.