The first 200,000 doses of a Chinese-made vaccine against COVID-19, a gift from China, have arrived in Angola, Lusa reports, citing Angolan Health Minister Sílvia Lutucuta.

The vaccine will be administered in two or three provinces of Angola in accordance with the national vaccination programme, which gives priority to inoculation of people over 40 years of age, the Portuguese news agency quotes Ms Lutucuta as saying last Thursday.

Ms Lutucuta said China had supported the Angolan effort to counter COVID-19 by making several donations of materials and equipment.

The report quotes Chinese Ambassador to Angola Gong Tao as saying at the formal turnover of the vaccine that the donation is yet another outcome of Sino-Angolan cooperation against the pandemic.  

The Beijing Institute of Biological Products, an arm of state-owned China National Pharmaceutical Group Corp., developed the vaccine, Lusa says.