DAKAR,
Senegal
Senegal
on Tuesday officially began the first phase of COVID-19 vaccination, taking a
new step in the crusade against the pandemic.
Senegalese Minister of
Health and Social Action Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr received the first dose of the
COVID-19 vaccine in front of the press at his ministry, which symbolized the
starting point of Senegal’s vaccination campaign.Former Senegalese Prime Minister Souleymane Ndene Ndiaye is being vaccinated with China's Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine on Feb. 23, 2021, in Dakar, Senegal.
Politicians, such as
former Prime Minister Souleymane Ndene Ndiaye, Foreign Minister Aissata Tall
Sall, Minister of National Education Mamadou Talla, and members of the health
workers were also vaccinated Tuesday morning.
The Senegalese health
minister said after vaccination that Senegalese President Macky Sall had
instructed him to respect two things, “fairness and transparency.”
According to him, the
200,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine are already distributed in all 14
regions of the country.
Sarr invited his
compatriots to continue the fight against COVID-19 with respecting barrier
gestures, wearing protective masks, washing hands regularly and avoiding gatherings.
He also revealed that
President Sall is negotiating with Russia for having Sputnik V vaccine.
“During the month of
March, Senegal will receive its first batch of vaccines from the COVAX
initiative. We will continue so that all Senegalese who must be vaccinated
shall be,” he added.
For the first phase of
the nation-wide COVID-19 vaccination campaign, Senegalese health authorities
aim to vaccinate 20 percent of the Senegalese population. This phase targets
frontline health workers, people over the age of 60 and people with underlying
health conditions.
The Senegalese health
minister also took this opportunity to announce that his country, in order to
show “African solidarity,” will offer The Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, a total of
20,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, which is 10 percent of its first batch of
200,000 doses, acquired from the Chinese firm Sinopharm.
Senegal plans to
vaccinate all those who wish to receive COVID-19 jabs by 2022.
In an interview with an
international radio, Senegalese President Macky Sall pleaded for a massive
vaccination that would make it possible to immunize the populations and “reduce
the risk of infection” against the spread of coronavirus.
Senegal, which reported its first confirmed case of COVID-19 on March 2, 2020, has so far recorded 33,242 positive cases, including 27,694 recoveries and 832 deaths. - Africa
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