Pope Francis and ex-Pope Benedict on Thursday received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
It could be recalled that a personal doctor of Pope Francis, Fabrizio Soccorsi died from COVID-19 complications.
The 78-year-old physician was admitted at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital before he contracted the virus and later passed away due to his health issues.
The Vatican reported that the 84-year-old pope and the 93-year-old former pope got their dose of the vaccine as part of a Vatican vaccination program that began on Wednesday.
Both leaders are vulnerable to contracting COVID-19 because of their age.
Pope Francis is said to be more at risk because part of his lungs was removed following an illness when he was a young man in his native Argentina.
Pope Francis had said taking COVID-19 vaccine is an ethical choice.
“Taking the vaccine is an ethical choice because you are gambling with your health, with your life, but you are also gambling with the lives of others,” he told Italy’s Canale 5 TV station.