The first coronavirus vaccine doses could be available in Germany before Christmas, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday.

Axar.az reports that speaking at the parliament on her government’s plan to combat COVID-19, Merkel expressed hope that the development of vaccines could ease the strain on the country’s health system, and allow them to relax virus-related restrictions in near future.

“We hope that the authorizations for the vaccines can be granted relatively quickly. It will not solve the problem immediately, but it means there is light at the end of the tunnel,” she said.

Merkel said the first vaccinations in Germany could start as early as next month, but a comprehensive coronavirus vaccination program will likely to begin early next year.