Zimbabwe receives Sinopharm shots

Zimbabwe has received its first COVID-19 vaccines with the arrival early on Monday of an Air Zimbabwe jet carrying 200,000 Sinopharm doses from China.

It is one of China's first shipments of vaccines to Africa, after deliveries to Egypt and Equatorial Guinea. The first Sinopharm vaccines are a donation from China to the southern African country.

President Emmerson Mnanagagwa's government has purchased an additional 600,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine that are expected to arrive early next month, state media said.

Zimbabwean Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga was at Harare airport for the arrival of the vaccines.

"It has not been lost on us that in times of need China's response has been swift," he said, while describing China's donation as "yet another demonstration of the long bond of friendship and solidarity".

China's ambassador to Zimbabwe, Guo Shaochun, said Zimbabwe is one of the first 58 countries to receive donations of the Sinopharm vaccine.

Zimbabwe's health professionals and immigration agents working at border posts will get first priority for the vaccines, according to a government roll-out plan.

Agencies Via Xinhua