Portugal wound down its military-led vaccine task force after reaching its target of fully inoculating 85% of its population of 10.3 million last month, including 98% of those eligible (anyone over 12 years old). Vice Admiral Henrique Gouveia e Melo used the rhetoric of war to fight the pandemic, assembling a diverse team of leaders and making a point to mobilize “people who are not politicians.” He also deployed the military to serve as the public face of vaccination, building confidence and trust in the health system: “People could see the vaccines were safe as soldier after soldier got shots.” Prime Minister António Costa also highlighted the country’s acceptance of vaccinations as a primary reason for success. New York Times; News 18