Chad launches vaccination campaign against COVID-19

Chadians lined up for their first COVID-19 vaccine doeses on the capital N'djamena on Saturday, as the country launched its vaccination campaign a day prior.

The campaign was officially launched on Friday after the Minister of Health and other members of the ministry received their first doses of the Sinopharm vaccine.

Chad, one of the latest in Africa to receive COVID-19 vaccine doses, received a donation of vaccines from China earlier in the week.

Nurse Ngasatam Valery told the AP that the priority was currently to vaccinate religious pilgrims, over 65s, military troops and health personnel.

Dr Oumarou Ali was one of the first to be vaccinated on Saturday.

Speaking to the AP following his jab, he said he had one message for Chadians:

"This vaccine is useful for everybody. As you know the coronavirus does not recognise religion or ethnicity. So I ask everybody to come and get vaccinated as soon as possible."