EU chief warns against 'a pandemic of the unvaccinated'

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a State of the Union Address at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2021. The European Union announced Wednesday it is committing 200 million more coronavirus vaccine doses to Africa to help curb the COVID-19 pandemic on a global scale. Picture: Yves Herman, Pool via AP

The pace of vaccination against Covid-19 must be quickened to avert "a pandemic of the unvaccinated", the European Union's chief executive said on Wednesday, also urging countries around the globe to step up the fight against climate change.

Ursula von der Leyen's second 'state of the union' address as European Commission president comes after two years that have tested the bloc's resilience, with the coronavirus pandemic, a related sharp economic downturn, and strains over Brexit and the rule of law in eastern member states.