Somalia rolls out Sinopharm vaccine in fight against Covid-19

A medical worker shows a box of the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine in Beijing on April 15, 2021.

Photo credit: Noel Celis | AFP

Somalia's Health ministry has rolled out doses of Sinopharm vaccine donated by China to boost the war against Covid-19 pandemic in the Horn of African nation.

The country's deputy minister of health Ahmed Hussein on Wednesday received his first dose of the Sinopharm vaccine in Mogadishu.  Mr Hussein said his country was grateful to China for the support in the fight against Covid-19 in Somalia.

The rollout of the jabs at a hospital in Mogadishu comes after the Horn of African nation on April 11 received a batch of Sinopharm vaccine.

The  country rolled out its mass vaccination on March 16, having received vaccines through the COVAX facility. The ministry of health said it is giving priority to the frontline health workers, essential service providers and the elderly.

The country had reported 12,406 cases, including 5,222 recoveries and 618 deaths, as of April 11.