Congo begins COVID-19 vaccinations after delay over safety concerns

KINSHASA: The Democratic Republic of Congo launched its COVID-19 vaccination campaign on Monday after a more than one-month delay because of concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine's safety.

Congo received 1.7 million doses from the COVAX vaccine-sharing facility on March 2, but delayed the rollout after several European countries suspended use of the AstraZeneca shot in response to reports of rare blood clots. Congo's government said last week that a task force had determined the vaccine presented no risk to the population.