Dalai Lama gets coronavirus vaccine shot: ‘This injection is very, very helpful’
- The 85-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader received his first dose of the Covishield vaccine, which is made by India’s Serum Institute
- Ten other people who live in the Dalai Lama’s residence were also vaccinated
The Dalai Lama, the 85-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader, was administered the first shot of the coronavirus vaccine on Saturday at a hospital in the north Indian hill town of Dharamsala.
After receiving the injection, he urged people to come forward, be brave and get vaccinated.
“In order to prevent some serious problems, this injection is very, very helpful,” he said.
Dr. G.D. Gupta of Zonal Hospital, where the shot was administered, told reporters that the Dalai Lama was observed for 30 minutes afterward. “He offered to come to the hospital like a common man to get himself vaccinated,” he said.
Ten other people who live in the Dalai Lama’s residence were also vaccinated, Gupta said. All eleven received the Covishield vaccine, which was developed by Oxford University and UK-based drug maker AstraZeneca, and manufactured by India’s Serum Institute.