United Nations Secretary-General Receives First Dose Of COVID-19 Vaccine In New York

New York: United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres received his first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine in New York on Thursday (January 28). Mr. Guterres received a vaccine shot at Adlai E Stevenson High School in The Bronx, a few miles uptown from UN Headquarters in New York, according to a release published on the UN official website. Taking to Twitter, the UN chief said that he was fortunate and grateful to receive the shot, and urged the international community to ensure that vaccines become available to everyone on an equitable basis. “With this pandemic, none of us are safe until all of us are safe,” he wrote.

Also Read: Ministry Of Health Issues Guidelines To States, Union Territories To Ensure No Wastage Of COVID Vaccines

The 71-year-old UN secretary-general was eligible to receive the vaccine on the basis of his age as New York residents over the age of 65 are included in the current phase of vaccinations in the city, which also includes school workers, first responders, public transit workers and grocery workers, according to the release.

In December, Mr. Guterres declared that he would happily receive a vaccine in public, adding that vaccination is a moral obligation for him. “Each one of us provides a service to the whole community”, he said, “because there is no longer a risk of spreading the disease.”

Media persons were invited to observe the UN chief receiving his shot at a time when many countries are seeing a significant proportion of their citizens expressing “vaccine hesitancy”, read the release. UN regional offices have noted a significant level of mistrust, said the report, adding that in some countries, around half the population are reportedly unsure about getting a COVID-19 vaccine at this stage.

The release quoted Penny Abeywardena, New York City’s commissioner for international affairs, as saying she was heartened that Guterres secured his appointment online, and received the vaccine in a public school, in the same manner as many other city residents.

This will go a long way in building trust in our communities that the vaccine is safe for all, she said.

Also Read: Experts Appeal Taking COVID-19 Vaccine Shot To Break The Chain Of Transmission And Avoid Another Peak

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.