As a massive global vaccine campaign rolled out, Chinese COVID-19 vaccines appear to be favored by many countries and government leaders overseas. From the outset of the clinical trials, China has been striving to make its vaccines a global public good.

Some countries intend to purchase vaccines from Sinopharm Group, while others will place orders with Sinovac Biotech Ltd.

Government leaders and officials, such as, heads of states, prime ministers and health professionals, are taking the initiative to receive their first shot of COVID-19 vaccines from China.

Serbia receives 1 mln Sinopharm vaccines from China

A million doses of China's Sinopharm inactivated coronavirus vaccines arrived at Belgrade’s Airport in Serbia on Saturday, the government confirmed in a press release.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic (C) and China's ambassador to Serbia Chen Bo (L) welcome the shipment of China's Sinopharm inactivated coronavirus vaccines at the Belgrade Airport, Serbia, Jan. 16, 2021. (Photo by Predrag Milosavljevic/Xinhua)

The shipment was welcomed at Belgrade’s Airport by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, China's Ambassador to Serbia Chen Bo, Serbian Health Minister Zlatibor Loncar and the head of the Security Intelligence Agency Bratislav Gasic.

Vucic said that the arrival of the vaccine is a "proof of the great friendship between Serbia and China," and it will help protect the lives of 500,000 people, adding he will get vaccinated with the Sinopharm vaccine.

"As an ordinary person and the president of Serbia, I am convinced of the quality of the Chinese vaccine, which will be decided by our competent agency," he said.

PM to be first Cambodian to receive China's COVID-19 vaccine shot

Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Sunday that he will be the first in the country to be inoculated with a COVID-19 vaccine developed by China's Sinopharm to boost public's confidence in the shot.

[Photo: Xinhua]

On Friday night, Hun Sen announced that he had accepted a donation of 1 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine.

He said apart from the donation, the government will continue to seek more vaccine doses for 10 million or up to 13 million people if there is a need to vaccinate up to 80 percent of the country's population.

Seychelles President Ramkalawan receives first shot of his SinoPharm COVID-19 vaccine

Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan received the first shot of his COVID-19 vaccine on Sunday to become Africa’s first head of state to receive the jab.

Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan receives a dose of COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in Victoria, Seychelles, on Jan. 10, 2021.(Xinhua)

Ramkalawan received the Chinese-manufactured SinoPharm COVID-19 Vaccine in a publicized event in Victoria to kickstart the Indian Ocean archipelago’s mass vaccination drive.

The 59-year-old took the opportunity to rally the country of around 97,000 people to unite in the fight to stop further spread of the virus.

"It's exactly as if I was getting any vaccine," he said, urging Seychellois to get the injection.

Former president Danny Faure also received his first jab alongside the incumbent as a show of his support for the country’s fight against the virus.

Thailand to receive first 200,000 vaccines in February

Thailand, which is aiming to inoculate at least half of its 70 million population, should receive a delivery of 200,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine by February, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha said on Monday.

It has ordered two million doses from Sinovac in total.

"I have given the direction on the vaccine and expect that within one to two months we will receive the first lot for medical professionals for about 200,000 doses," Prayuth said, according to a Twitter posting by his office.

Another 800,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine will arrive by March and one million in April, Supakit Sirilak, director-general of the Medical Science Department, said on Sunday.

Philippines targets deal for 25 million doses

The Philippines aims to finalize negotiations with Sinovac to acquire 25 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine for delivery by March, a coronavirus taskforce official has said on December 14.

President Rodrigo Duterte wants to inoculate all his country's 108 million people, preferably buying vaccines from Russia or China.

Philippine officials met with Sinovac representatives on December 11, said Carlito Galvez, the country's vaccine chief.

"We have already conveyed to them our needs, 25 million for 2021," Galvez told a news conference, adding that vaccine distribution was targeted for March.

Brazil to begin mass COVID-19 vaccination campaign on Jan 20

Brazil will begin mass vaccination against COVID-19 starting Wednesday, its health ministry announced Sunday.

A nurse prepares the vaccine against COVID-19 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Jan. 17, 2021. (Xinhua/Rahel Patrasso)

The first vaccine to be distributed in Brazil was CoronaVac, developed by Sinovac in conjunction with the Butantan Institute of Sao Paulo, and the first doses were given to health professionals in Sao Paulo moments after the approval.

The Brazilian government has procured 6 million doses of the CoronaVac vaccine to be distributed throughout the country.

Peru inks deal with Sinopharm for COVID-19 vaccines

Peru has signed an agreement with Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinopharm to acquire its vaccine against COVID-19, with the first 1 million doses to arrive later this month.

A staff member tests samples of the COVID-19 inactivated vaccine at a vaccine production base of the Beijing Biological Products Institute Co., Ltd. in Beijing, capital of China, April 11, 2020. (Xinhua/Zhang Yuwei)

Clinical trials of the Sinopharm vaccine are currently underway at the Cayetano Heredia Peruvian University and the National University of San Marcos.

According to Peru's National Institute of Health, which is overseeing the process, 11,000 volunteers have been vaccinated since the trials began in September.

Turkish president gets Chinese COVID-19 vaccine

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday received his first dose of a China-developed vaccine after the country started mass vaccination against COVID-19.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan (C) receives a dose of COVID-19 vaccine at a hospital in Ankara, Turkey, on Jan. 14, 2021. (Xinhua)

After receiving the jab at a hospital in capital Ankara, Erdogan called on all political party leaders and lawmakers to urge people to endorse the vaccine. "I believe it will be vital especially if all political leaders and MPs encourage (jabs of) the COVID-19 vaccine and strengthen the campaign."

Indonesian President Widodo receives Chinese COVID-19 vaccine

Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Wednesday received the COVID-19 vaccine shot developed by China's biopharmaceutical company Sinovac Biotech.

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. (Agus Suparto/Presidential Press Bureau/Handout via Xinhua)

The president, widely known as Jokowi, is the first Indonesian vaccinated to show that the vaccine is safe.

After the president, the Indonesian military chief, the national police chief and the Health Minister, among others, were also vaccinated.

UAE prime minister receives China-developed COVID-19 vaccine shot

The Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum said he had received a COVID-19 vaccine on November 3rd, 2020.

Sheikh Mohammed, who's also the vice president of UAE and the ruler of Dubai, shared the news on Twitter, posting a photo of him getting vaccinated by a medical staffer.

"While receiving the COVID-19 vaccine today. We wish everyone safety and great health, and we are proud of our teams who have worked relentlessly to make the vaccine available in the UAE. The future will always be better in the UAE," he wrote in his post.

The vaccine he got was produced by the Chinese drug giant Sinopharm, according to a report from Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera. It was nearing the end of Phase III trials in the UAE, Egypt, Bahrain and Jordan, which started in mid-July.

Sheikh Mohammed is the latest top Emirati official to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Several ministers and senior officials have already received the vaccine in both the UAE and Bahrain, including UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan and Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, as well as Bahrain's crown prince.

In September 2020, the UAE authorized the emergency use of Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccine on health workers, after the country's health officials confirmed the positive results of the clinical trials.

Source | Newsgd.com、Xinhua、CGTN、China Daily