In July 2021, people at Portuguese COVID-19 vaccination centres faced queues lasting several hours. Public broadcaster RTP reported that the country set a daily vaccination record while concentrated demand and site operations produced long waits.
What distinguishes this queue is that it was not simply evidence of failure; it was also a consequence of pushing daily vaccination capacity to a record. Giving more doses and giving them without delay were different achievements, and the headline total concealed a cost paid in waiting time.