The Dalai Lama, the 85-year-old Tibetan spiritual leader, was administered the first shot of the coronavirus vaccine on March 6 at a hospital in the north Indian hill city of Dharamshala.
After receiving the injection, he urged people to be brave and come forward to be vaccinated.
“In order to prevent some serious problems, this injection is very, very helpful,” he said.
Ten other people who live in the Dalai Lama’s residence were also vaccinated, Gupta said. All 11 received the Covishield vaccine, a version of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, manufactured by India’s Serum Institute.
India has confirmed more than 11m cases of the coronavirus and more than 157,000 deaths. The country, which has the second-highest caseload in the world behind the US, began its vaccination drive in January, starting with healthcare and frontline workers. Earlier this month, it expanded its inoculation drive to older people and those with medical conditions that put them at risk.
The Dalai Lama made Dharamshala his headquarters in 1959, fleeing Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule. China does not recognise the Tibetan government-in-exile and accuses the Dalai Lama of seeking to separate Tibet from China.
The Dalai Lama denies being a separatist and says he merely advocates for substantial autonomy and protection of the region’s native Buddhist culture.
