Covid: Dalai Lama gets coronavirus vaccine and urges others to come forward too
The Dalai Lama encourages others to take the vaccine after having his first jab
Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama received his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine on Saturday.
The 85-year-old had the jab at a hospital in the north Indian town of Dharamsala.
After receiving the injection, he urged people to come forward, be brave and get vaccinated.
“In order to prevent some serious problems, this injection is very, very helpful,” he said.
"More people should have courage to take this injection."
He added that he wanted to share his experience as inoculation is "very important".
Dr GD Gupta of Zonal Hospital, where the jab was administered, told reporters that the Dalai Lama was observed for 30 minutes afterwards.
“He offered to come to the hospital like a common man to get himself vaccinated,” he added.
Ten other people who live in the Dalai Lama’s residence were also vaccinated.
All 11 had the Covishield vaccine, which was developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca.
Covishield has been manufactured by India’s Serum Institute.
India has confirmed more than 11 million cases of coronavirus and more than 157,000 deaths.
The country, which has the second-highest number of cases in the world behind the US, began its vaccination drive in January.
Earlier this month, it expanded the rollout to older people and those with medical conditions that put them at risk of infection.
After fleeing Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule, the Dalai Lama made Dharmsala his headquarters in 1959.
China does not recognise the Tibetan government-in-exile and accuses the Dalai Lama of seeking to separate Tibet from China.
The Dalai Lama denies being a separatist and says he merely advocates for substantial autonomy and protection of the region’s native Buddhist culture.