Bhutan vaccinates 60% of population against COVID in record time

Tiny Himalayan nation says 470,000 out of 770,000 people administered first shot of a two-dose vaccine donated by India.

Bhutan on Wednesday said it had given about 60 percent of its entire population a first jab against COVID-19 since the Himalayan kingdom started an ambitious vaccination drive nine days ago. The tiny nation wedged between India and China told AFP news agency that 470,000 people out of 770,000 in total had been administered the first shot of a two-dose regime of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine donated by India. Its rapid rollout puts Bhutan far ahead of other leading nations in reaching the 60 percent mark, including Seychelles, Israel and the United Arab Emirates, according to an AFP analysis.