New Zealand PM Ardern gets 'pain-free' COVID vaccine shot

FILE PHOTO: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addresses supporters at a Labour Party event in Wellington, New Zealand, October 11, 2020. REUTERS/Praveen Menon/File Photo

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern received the her first shot of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Friday, as the country steps up efforts to inoculate its population.

The Pacific island nation shut its borders and used tough lockdown measures to become one of the few countries to have virtually eliminated COVID-19 in the community, but the government is facing criticism for a slow rollout of vaccines.