Mozambique has taken delivery of 500,000 more doses of the vaccine against COVID-19 devised by Sinopharm Group Co. Ltd of China, which will help speed up the inoculation of Mozambicans, Lusa reports.

The Portuguese news agency quotes Mozambican Deputy Minister of Health Lídia Cardoso as saying when the shipment arrived at Maputo International Airport on Monday that the authorities will begin today vaccinating people 50 years of age or older, public servants, public transport workers and teachers.

Her government means to give one-fifth of the 30 million people of Mozambique at least one dose by September 30, and to have inoculated over half of them by December 31, Lusa quotes Ms Cardoso as saying.

In a separate report, state-run Rádio Moçambique says the latest shipment is part of an order for 11 million doses due to be delivered by August 31.