Taipei, Mar 22 (IANS): Taiwan on Monday launched its vaccine programme against Covid-19, and Premier Su Tseng-chang and Health and Welfare Minister Chen Shih-chung were among the first group of people to receive their first shot.

At the National Taiwan University Hospital in Taipei, Su and Chen were administered their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, a move which aimed to ease fears and encourage people to also get the jab, reports dpa news agency.

Su, 73, told reporters that he did not feel any pain after receiving his first dose of the two-shot vaccine.

"My situation suggests that people should be relieved," he said.

Chen, who also chairs Taiwan's Central Epidemic Command Centre (CECC), told reporters after receiving the shot that the decision to give shots to top political figures was made after the appearance of blood clot concerns over the AstraZeneca vaccine in other countries.

The hospital said that the second shot will be administered around May.

Taiwan received its first batch of Covid-19 vaccines, commercially supplied by AstraZeneca, earlier this month.

The 117,000 doses of the vaccine have been distributed to 57 hospitals nationwide for health care workers taking care of Covid-19 patients.

Taiwan aims to acquire 30 million doses from various vaccine providers.

Taiwan, an island of 23.6 million people, has reported a total of 1,006 Covid-19 cases and 10 deaths.