VIENTIANE, March 17 (Xinhua) -- A total of 40,732 people including medical workers and officials in high-risk groups in Laos have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, local media reported.
The local Vientiane Mai newspaper on Tuesday quoted Deputy Director General of the Department of Communicable Disease Control under the Lao Ministry of Health Latsamy Vongkhamsao as saying that authorities have vaccinated priority groups, particularly at-risk groups across the country.
No side effects have been reported in the people receiving the vaccines donated by China, according to report.
Laos started the vaccination of its medical workers at the end of January, with Lao Deputy Prime Minister Somdy Douangdy and Health Minister Bounkong Syhavong taking the lead.
As of Wednesday, 123,533 suspected cases have been tested in Laos with 49 being confirmed with COVID-19, including 45 recoveries.
Laos reported its first two confirmed cases of COVID-19 on March 24 last year. Enditem
