Angela Merkel receives first dose of AstraZeneca COVID vaccine

German Chancellor Angela Merkel received her first dose of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine on Friday (April 16). Her spokesman made the announcement on Twitter.

"I am happy that I received the first vaccination with AstraZeneca," the Twitter post quoted Merkel, 66, as saying.

"Vaccinations are the key to overcoming the pandemic," she added in the quote.

AstraZeneca vaccine has been in news all over due to many cases of blood clot formation after administering vaccine dose

Questions over the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine as well as another viral vector one made by Johnson & Johnson threaten to undermine public confidence in the low-cost shots, which authorities had been counting on in the fight against a pandemic that has claimed more than 3 million lives worldwide.

Finance Minister Olaf Scholz also received a first shot of AstraZeneca's vaccine earlier on Friday.

Earlier on Friday, Merkel urged lawmakers at the German Parliament to approve new powers that would allow her to force coronavirus lockdowns and curfews on areas with high infection rates, saying a majority of Germans were in favour of stricter measures.

(With inputs from agencies)