Tanzania to Receive More Covid-19 Vaccines

TANZANIA is set to receive another consignment of Covid-19 vaccines this month through the COVAX facility, as the country looks to scale up innoculation.

The East African nation is currently rolling out Johnson &Johnson vaccine donated by the United States through the COVAX arrangement with priority given to frontline health care workers, people with chronic diseases as well as adults 50 years and above.

However, the Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children Dr Dorothy Gwajima (pictured) said yesterday during the Covid-19 national dialogue that, following a huge turnout of people, the ministry has expanded vaccination scope to cover other people in need of the service regardless of the priority groups.

The national dialogue held in Dar es Salaam was organised by the Tanzania Health Summit to discuss various issues related to Covid-19, so as to encourage and motivate the community on pandemic vaccination.

She said some people who go for Covid-19 vaccination at the designated health faculties have been denied the service because they are not under priority groups but after the government got the vaccination schedule it has allowed other people to be vaccinated. Dr Gwajima noted that priority groups should be attended first before administering vaccines to other people.

The minister further detailed that, during the launch of the vaccine rollout on July 28th, this year, a total of 300 people received Covid jabs including ministers, diplomats, religious leaders and others.

She observed that, until August 10th, this year, more than 140, 0000 people had received the vaccine.

Dr Gwajima further said that, the government in collaboration with stakeholders and citizens has continued to take various steps to prevent further spread of Covid-19 in the country including the vaccine rollout.

“My ministry has done its job to verify the vaccine through local experts and other authorities … these vaccines are safe because before we received them they were approved by the World Health Organisation (WHO), which has for years allowed various vaccines which have helped to eradicate diseases,” she stressed.

Dr Gwajima said the government has so far approved five vaccines to be used in the country. She mentioned the vaccines which have also been endorsed by WHO as Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Sinopharm and Sinovac.

The minister went on to emphasize on the need for Tanzanians to continue taking measures to curb further spread of Covid-19 pandemic, even after taking the vaccine including frequent hand washing, social distancing, masking, sanitising and avoiding gatherings.

The Bugando Zonal Referral Hospital Director General Dr Fabian Massaga said that, although the country has gone through various waves of Covid-19, the third wave looks severe because it is affecting people of all ages contrary to the first and second wave where people who were at high risk of contracting the pandemic were elders and people with chronic diseases.

“This third wave has been more severe and the number of people contracting the disease has increased compared to the two previous waves… this is due to the fact that individuals are not taking serious measures to prevent themselves and some patients go to the hospital while in critical condition,” he said.

Dr Massaga further noted that despite the increasing number of patients, health facilities in the country have managed to accommodate all patients and provide them with necessary medical care including patients who need oxygen.

THS President Dr Omary Chillo said that the dialogue aimed at providing proper Covid-19 information to the public, clear myths and reduce miscommunication on Covid-19 and vaccination. He added that it also aimed at clearing anti- vaccine sentiments in the community and encouraging preventive practices.

The dialogue drew participants from among others, public and private health facilities, education and research institutions and other stakeholders. Meanwhile, the government has started issuing Covid -19 vaccination certificates electronically, so as to curb forgery. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children Prof Abel Makubi said that the issuance of the certificate electronically is part of the government strategy to control people with ill intention of acquiring the certificates without being vaccinated.

“For those who have been vaccinated but they have not been given electronic certificates will be informed on how they will get their certificates,” he said.

By Daily News.