Senegal is giving neighbouring Guinea-Bissau 10,000 doses of the vaccine against COVID-19 made by Sinopharm Group Co. Ltd of China, Lusa reports, citing Senegalese Health and Social Action Minister Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr.

The Portuguese news agency quotes Mr Diouf Sarr as saying on Tuesday that the gift shows African solidarity.

The report says Senegal is also giving another neighbour, Gambia, 10,000 doses of its first batch of 200,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine.

Senegal started its vaccination programme on Tuesday, Mr Diouf Sarr being the first inoculated, in the presence of reporters at his ministry, Lusa says.

In a separate report, the Chinese government-run news agency, Xinhua, quotes Mr Diouf Sarr as saying the rest of its first batch of the Sinopharm vaccine has been distributed to all 14 regions of Senegal.