Roundup: increasing countries begin inoculation drive with Chinese vaccines

Screenshot shows a report published by Reuters on Feb. 23, 2021.

Chinese donated and exported vaccines have arrived and applied in countries across the world, injecting impetus to the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

200,000 of two million doses vaccines from China's Sinovac Biotech arrived in Thailand on February 24, two days after the vaccines were given emergency use authorization in the country, said Reuters.

"We will start injecting the target groups within three days after the vaccines arrive," Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said in a Facebook post. Priority is to be given to worst-hit areas in Thailand, with more than half of the doses received earmarked for epicenter, Samut Sakhon and the capital, Bangkok.

800,000 more doses of Sinovac vaccines will arrive this month and the remaining one million in April, said Prayuth.

Mexico and Senegal speed up their vaccination programs with billions of Chinese vaccines arriving in the countries.

According to Russian media Sputnik News, health authorities in Mexico began to vaccinate elder citizens with vaccines developed by Sinovac on February 22. The first shipment of the Sinovac vaccines was designated to Ecatepec, a city in central State of Mexico, where residents aged over 60 started to get their first jab.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador thanked China for offering a batch of the Sinovac vaccines, which serve as a great support for its inoculation campaign.

Senegal also began its coronavirus vaccination in the last week of February with 200,000 doses purchased from China's Sinopharm. The first shots were given to government minister and health workers at the health ministry in the capital, Dakar.

“The western African country is one of the first in the region to start vaccinating its population against COVID-19,” Reuters reported on February 23.

As of February 25, China has provided and is providing vaccine aid to 53 countries, and has exported and is exporting vaccines to 27 countries, making great efforts to promote equitable distribution of vaccines worldwide to jointly fight the virus.