Coronavirus: Seychelles becomes first African nation to start vaccinating population, using Chinese drug

Name: Seychelles first African nation to begin Covid-19 vaccinations using Chinese shots
Uploaded: 2021-01-10T14:26:04.000Z
Duration: 1 min 48 s
Description: Seychelles first African nation to begin Covid-19 vaccinations using Chinese shots

The island nation received a donation of 50,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine from the United Arab Emirates, the health minister said

Authorities hopes to vaccinate 70 per cent of the country’s population of 98,000 within two to three months, at a rate of 1,000 per day

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Seychelles first African nation to begin Covid-19 vaccinations using Chinese shots

Agence France-Pressein Victoria, Seychelles

Published: 10:26pm, 10 Jan 2021Updated: 1:12pm, 11 Jan 2021

The Indian Ocean archipelago of the Seychelles began vaccinating its population against the coronavirus on Sunday, the first African nation to do so.

The country’s president, Wavel Ramkalawan, was the first to receive the jab, an event broadcast on live television at a hospital in the capital Victoria. Several dozen other public figures joined him.

“It’s exactly as if I was getting any vaccine,” he said, encouraging all the people of the island nation to get the injection.

President of Seychelles Wavel Ramkalawan, left, receives the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine on Sunday. Photo: AFP

The country is using the vaccine developed by the Chinese pharmaceutical giant Sinopharm with its subsidiary the China National Biotec Group (CNBG).

Health Minister Peggy Vidot said on Thursday that the country had received a donation of 50,000 doses of the vaccine from the United Arab Emirates.