Vatican City, January 14: The Vatican has confirmed Pope Francis received the first shot of the coronavirus vaccine on Thursday. No photos of the 84-yer-old pontiff receiving the shot have been released. The pope has advocated that everyone should get the vaccine, calling it an “ethical option” performed not only for ones own health but for the “lives of others.” Vatican Likely to Start Administering COVID-19 Vaccinations in Mid-January.

The Vatican has beefed up coronavirus restrictions amid a spike in cases in Italy. The pope, who is missing part of one lung since a surgery in his 20s, has been saying the traditional Angelus blessing from a library in the Apostolic Palace, and not a window overlooking St. Peters, in a bid to prevent gatherings. Pope Says He Has Appointment for COVID-19 Shot.

The Vatican launched its vaccination program this week, administering the Pfizer vaccine. Vatican City has had at least 27 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, including a cluster among the Swiss Guards last fall.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)