Chile's President Sebastian Pinera on Sunday welcomed a shipment of 2.2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses made by Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac. 

It is the largest batch of vaccine doses the country has ever received, according to local media.

Addressing a briefing at Santiago International Airport upon the batch's arrival, the president said 7.6 million people in Chile have received both doses while 9.5 million have received at least one shot.

The president himself has received two Sinovac shots, taken in February and March, respectively. 

Chile launched mass vaccinations on February 3, after first vaccinating healthcare workers in December 2020. 

The country has registered over 1.3 million cases of COVID-19 and over 28,000 related deaths. It aims to vaccinate 80 percent of its population in the first half of this year.