Mogadishu (SD) – The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare today officially launched the SINOPHARM Vaccine, donated by the Government of China to the Government of Somalia.

SINOPHARM vaccine is the second COVID-19 vaccines that are donated to Somalia and it arrived in the country on Sunday.

Deputy Minister of Health Dr. Ahmed Hussein Maalim and Chinese Ambassador to Somalia Qin Jian officially took the COVID-19 shot today. The vaccine was also administered to some directors at the ministry.

Ministry of Somalia’s Foreign Affairs and the Somali staff at the Somali Embassy in China, Deputy Minister of Health all thanked the Chinese government for its support to Somalia.

This is Somalia’s second donated Vaccine, previously the country received a United Nations-sponsored covid-19 vaccine.

The latest vaccine donation comes at a time when the Federal Government of Somalia’s Ministry of Health is reporting a spike in the infection rates in the past 48 hours, killing 32 people and recovering.