PARIS, Dec. 4 (CNA) - France will ensure free COVID-19 vaccinations for all in its social security system and has earmarked about €1.5 billion (US$1.82 billion) of next year's social security budget to cover the cost, Prime Minister Jean Castex said on Thursday (Dec 3).

Castex, who unveiled France's vaccination strategy alongside several ministers of his government, confirmed the vaccination would not be made compulsory but urged as many as possible to get a shot.

COVID-19, caused by the new coronavirus, has killed more than 1.4 million globally, more than 54,000 of them in France, and derailed the world economy.

"The remarkable mobilisation worldwide has allowed the rapid development of vaccines. However, this timeframe in no way means that we have compromised safety," the prime minister said in a briefing, adding a vaccine distributed in France would be safe.

"Getting a vaccine is also about protecting others. It is a choice of trust, we must be as numerous as possible to get a vaccine."

On Wednesday, Britain became the first Western country to approve a COVID-19 vaccine, clearing a shot from US drugmaker Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech and targeting about 800,000 initial doses in early December to vulnerable members of its population.