New Delhi (NVI): United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has received his first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at a public school in New York.
The UN chief received the vaccine shot at Adlai E Stevenson High School in The Bronx, a few miles from UN headquarters in New York, according to the media reports.
Taking to Twitter, Guterres posted a picture and wrote, “I was fortunate and grateful to get the first dose of my COVID-19 vaccine today.”
“We must get to work to make sure the vaccine is available to everyone, everywhere. With this pandemic, none of us are safe until all of us are safe,” he added.
I was fortunate and grateful to get the first dose of my #COVID19 vaccine today.
We must get to work to make sure the vaccine is available to everyone, everywhere.
With this pandemic, none of us are safe until all of us are safe.
✌ for #Vaccinated pic.twitter.com/OpCVJloY7W
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) January 28, 2021
In another tweet, the UN chief shared an video message and wrote, “I am very thankful to the City of New York for including @UN staff and diplomats in their COVID19 vaccination programme. Solidarity is crucial in our global fight against the pandemic.”
I am very thankful to the City of New York for including @UN staff and diplomats in their #COVID19 vaccination programme.
Solidarity is crucial in our global fight against the pandemic.pic.twitter.com/z9WXm60OiS
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) January 29, 2021
The 71-year-old UN chief was eligible to receive the vaccine on the basis of his age, as the city residents over the age of 65 are included in the current phase of vaccinations drive, the reports said.
This eligibility criteria also includes school workers, first responders, public transit workers and grocery workers.
Notably, media persons were also invited to observe the UN chief receiving his vaccine shot.
Earlier in December, 2020, Guterres had said that he would happily receive a vaccine in public. “Each one of us provides a service to the whole community because there is no longer a risk of spreading the disease,” he was quoted saying in a UN release.
So far, the New York city has registered 1.38 million coronavirus cases, while the worst affected US has reported over 25.7 million cases with over 4,32,000 COVID-19 fatalities since the outbreak of the pandemic, the John Hopkins University data shows.
-RJV
