A number of countries, including Egypt, the UAE, Jordan, Indonesia, Brazil and Pakistan, have authorized the COVID-19 vaccines produced by China for emergency use. And many more countries, including Chile, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Nigeria, have ordered Chinese vaccines or are cooperating with China in procuring or rolling out the vaccines.
Let’s check the list of world leaders who have received Chinese vaccine shots as part of their vaccination campaign.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo
Indonesian President Joko Widodo receives the COVID-19 vaccine shot developed by China’s biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech at Presidential Palace in Jakarta, Indonesia, Jan 13, 2021. The president is the first Indonesian to be vaccinated to show that the vaccine is safe. [Photo/Xinhua]
Indonesia, through its Food and Drug Control Agency, approved China’s biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech’s COVID-19 vaccine for use on Jan 11.
The agency issued an emergency use authorization for the vaccine after interim results of its late-stage trials in the country showed an efficacy rate of 65.3 percent.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Jan 13, 2021, received the COVID-19 vaccine shot. After the president, the Indonesian military chief, the national police chief and the Health Minister, among others, were also vaccinated.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan receives a shot of the Sinovac’s CoronaVac coronavirus disease vaccine at Ankara City Hospital in Ankara, Turkey, Jan 14, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua]
Turkey started mass vaccination for COVID-19 on Jan 14 after the authorities approved the emergency use of the Chinese vaccine.
More than 600,000 health workers in Turkey have received their first doses of COVID-19 shots developed by China’s Sinovac during the first two days of the country’s vaccination program.
Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca on Jan 13, 2021, received the Sinovac vaccine along with Turkey’s advisory science council members, one day before the nationwide vaccination begins.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
On Nov 3, 2020, Prime Minister and Vice-President of the UAE and ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum tweeted a picture of him receiving a shot of a COVID-19 vaccine. [Photo/HH Sheikh Mohammed's Twitter account]
The UAE announced on Dec 9, 2020, the official registration of a COVID-19 vaccine developed by the China National Pharmaceutical Group, or Sinopharm, the official WAM news agency reported.
The UAE became the first country to offer Chinese-developed COVID-19 vaccines to all citizens and residents for free, on Dec 23. The trials in UAE shows the Chinese vaccine provides 86 percent efficacy against COVID-19 infection.
The vaccine was granted Emergency Use Authorization in September by the health ministry to protect frontline workers most at risk of COVID-19.
The phase III trials in the UAE have included 31,000 volunteers from 125 countries and regions.
Post time: Jan-19-2021