THIMPU, Bhutan (AP) — Bhutan’s COVID-19 vaccination drive was fast from the start. As other countries rolled out their vaccination campaigns over months, Bhutan is nearly done just 16 days after it started.
The tiny Himalayan kingdom has vaccinated nearly 93% of its adults.
Its small population helped Bhutan move fast, but dedicated volunteers and the use of cold chain storage from earlier vaccination drives are credited as well.
Bhutan distributed the shots to coincide with auspicious dates in Buddhist astrology and the recipient and provider of the first shot were women born in the Year of the Monkey.
The woman who received it said, “Let this small step of mine today help us all prevail through this illness."