By Saio Marrah
In an effort to expand the Covid-19 vaccination drive, officials of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS) have targeted 70% of the Sierra Leonean population for vaccination by December this year.
Speaking at an engagement with stakeholders on the vaccination campaign held at the Country Lodge Hotel in Freetown, on the 17th of August, 2022, the Programme Manager, Child Health and Expanded Programme on Immunization said the government has long reduced the age bracket to 12 years for inoculation within the country and that almost all the health facilities within the country are providing services with over 1400 vaccination teams.
This according to Dr. Desmond Kamgbai is to ensure that people across the country within the targeted age bracket are vaccinated.
He also noted that as of 17th August 2022, there were two million eight hundred and eighty-eight thousand four hundred and seventy-one (2,888, 471) individuals within the country that have been fully vaccinated, a figure, he said represents 51 percent of the ministry’s target and 38.8 percent of the country’s population.
Dr. Kamgbai noted that 3 million vaccines are already in the pipeline for the country noting and will place orders when the need arises.
He also noted that 60.5 percent of the vaccines within the country have been administered, of which 53 percent were women and 47 percent men. He said 89% of people that have taken the vaccine are between the ages of 15 and 59.
The Minister of Health and Sanitation, Dr Austin Demby, noted that even though enormous progress has been made, COVID is not yet over. He said for the past two weeks there have been few cases within the country and pointed out that the only defence against the virus is vaccination. He also encouraged the public to go for it as it is not harmful.
He said the fact that there are some cases around, should make people not relent on the use of face masks, frequent hand -washing and the use of hand sanitizer when necessary.
He emphasised the need for a concise and clear message on the importance of the vaccine to the people.
He also pointed out that different waves of the virus are likely to come up during the Christmas season when there are visitors from abroad, and therefore said it is necessary that people are protected against the virus by making their immune systems stronger.
The minister also noted that by the 30th of September this year, the National COVID 19 Emergency Response Centre (NACOVERC) will be closed and everything around the fight against the virus will be centred on the ministry.
But he assured that the fight against the virus will also be very effective saying that NACOVERC was a coordinating body and that majority of the work in the fight was being handled by the ministry of health.
Sierra Leone recorded its first corona virus case on the 15th March 2020.
Copyright © Politico Online (19/08/22)
