Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement that he was “able to confirm that the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine has been given to Pope Francis so far under the Vatican City’s vaccination program.” Pope Emeritus ”.
The statement did not say when Pope Francis, 84, or his 93-year-old predecessor were inoculated. The Vatican began its vaccination program on Wednesday in a medical center set up in the main hall of the Auditorium, where the pontiff often holds his weekly audience. Both men have a higher risk of contracting the virus because of their age.
“I believe that ethically everyone should get the vaccine. It is not an option, it is an ethical choice, because you play with your health, with your life, but you also play with the lives of others,” the pontiff said in a statement. interview with the Italian channel Canale 5 broadcast on Sunday evening.
“I call on all those responsible for states, companies, international organizations … to promote cooperation and not competition and to seek a solution for everyone, vaccines for all, especially for the most vulnerable and needy in all regions of on the globe, “the pope said during his traditional Urbi et Orbi message (to the city and the world) at the Vatican.
On Saturday, the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano announced that Francis’ personal doctor, Fabrizio Soccorsi, had died as a result of “complications due to Covid”.
Francis chose Soccorsi as his personal doctor in 2015, the press said.
Soccorsi, 78, was hospitalized in Rome on December 26 for a previous cancer, according to the Italian Episcopal Conference’s Avvenire newspaper. It is not clear exactly when he was last in direct contact with Pope Francis.