MARRAKECH, Morocco — When COVID-19 vaccines became available in Africa, Morocco acted fast.
On Jan. 22, 2021, the country acquired two million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine — days before it was approved for use in the European Union. Six days later, King Mohamed VI, the country’s ruling monarch, became the first recipient; his vaccination was broadcast on national television. Moroccans in Casablanca, Marrakech, and other cities said that seeing the king get vaccinated eased their fears.
"The king is the political leader and the spiritual leader. So when he did his first public statement on the vaccine, he set an example," Rachid Ait Addi, an epidemiologist at Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech, said.