Vaccines precious, my words taken out of context - Gemmato

(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 15 - Health Undersecretary Marcello Gemmato sought to defuse a row he sparked by saying there was no evidence the COVID pandemic would have been worse without vaccines by stating that vaccines were "precious weapons in the fight against the virus" and that his words had been taken out of context.
    "Vaccines are precious weapons against COVID, my words decontextualized and subject to easy exploitation", said Gemmato said following the controversy over his statements regarding the effectiveness of vaccines.
    "I am amazed by the exploitation that the opposition is mounting in these last hours regarding some of my statements made yesterday to the Re Start programme of Rai 2 (on state broadcaster Rai).
    I have always supported the validity of vaccines and the ability they have to protect especially the most fragile," he said in a statement. (ANSA).