The target of vaccinating 70 percent of the adult population in the European Union was achieved on Tuesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said, calling on everyone with the opportunity to get vaccinated to do so in order to protect themselves and others.

“Our target was to protect 70 percent of adults in the European Union with at least one dose of the vaccine in July. Today we have achieved this target. And 57 percent of adults already have the full protection of double vaccination,” von der Leyen said, calling for keeping up the effort.

“The Delta variant is very dangerous. I therefore call on everyone – who has the opportunity – to be vaccinated. For their own health and to protect others,” she said.