EU hits vaccination target, as Delta variant now dominates

"These figures put Europe among the world leaders," she added.

The announcement comes amid concerns over the more-contagious Delta variant, responsible for a surge in cases in many member states.

Last week, the EU Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said that the variant, first identified in India, is now dominant in 19 of the region's 28 countries that reported sufficiently complete genetic sequencing information.

But the Delta strain is expected to make up 90-percent of infections in Europe by the end of the summer.

All jabs approved in the EU - BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, and Johnson&Johnson - appeared to be effective against the variant when both doses are administrated in the case of two-shot jabs.

However, only 57 percent of adult Europeans are fully-vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the ECDC has warned that an increasing number of cases will be reported among children in the coming months.

Von der Leyen warned that the Delta variant is "very dangerous," urging everyone to get vaccinated "for their own health and to protect others".

The rollout of vaccines across the EU had a slow beginning earlier this year, compared to the UK or the US, mainly due to delays in the deliveries of AstraZeneca, against which the EU has taken legal proceedings.

"The catch-up process has been very successful - but we need to keep up the effort," said von der Leyen.

"The EU will continue to provide sufficient volumes of vaccine," she promised.

So far, Brussels has secured up to 4.4bn doses from six different vaccine makers - although two jabs are yet to be approved.

As of Wednesday, Malta had the highest Covid-19 vaccination rate in the EU, followed by Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands and Belgium, which have all reported more than 80 percent of adults receiving at least one shot.

By contrast, Bulgaria and Romania have only vaccinated 18.5 percent and 31 percent of their population with one dose, according to the ECDC vaccine tracker.