By Osoro Nyawangah, DAR ES SALAAM Tanzania
Tanzania citizens seem to be hesitant to take the COVID-19 jab provided free by the government as the records show 20.6% of the vaccines have been administered in three weeks.
President Samia has assured Tanzanians that the Covid-19 vaccines are safe |
With over 61 million people, Tanzania plans to
vaccinate 60 percent of its population after it received over one million doses
of the Janssen coronavirus vaccine from the United States donated through the
Covax initiative, which is co-led by Gavi, the World Health Organization (WHO)
and CEPI.
According to a
statement issued and signed by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Health,
Professor Abel Makubi on the distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine, only 207,391
people have been vaccinated in three weeks’ time.
The figures show that
121, 002 who have been vaccinated are men and 86,389 are women; these numbers
means that there are more than 800,000 jabs still available.
The one million doses of the Janssen coronavirus vaccine are intended for the aged persons, people with chronic diseases, the health personnel and the army.
A self-proclaimed Bishop and Member of Parliament, Josephat Gwajima |
Makubi said that as of August 14, a total of
1,008,400 vaccines had been distributed in all 26 regions.
“I give instructions to all healthcare workers who
provide vaccines, to spend a few minutes educating people on the importance of
vaccination to each person who goes to a hospital to be treated on other
diseases, this will help them on making right decisions of getting the jabs,”
he said.
Tanzania President,
Samia Hassan,
launched the country's Covid-19 vaccination campaign early this month after
receiving just over a million Johnson & Johnson shots donated by the United
States through the COVAX scheme.
She was the first to receive the vaccine on live
television followed by high-ranking government officials and reassured the
country that the shots are safe.
The live broadcast of
their vaccinations was in part to allay fears stemming from widespread
disinformation about vaccines on social media and from religious and political
leaders.
Public attitudes to Covid-19 precautions still
appear quite relaxed, with most people walking about without masks, and public
opinion remains divided over the safety of vaccination.
President Hassan's
predecessor the late John Magufuli was widely criticized as a Covid-19 denier
who endangered people's lives.
Professor Abel Makubi |
Tanzania under the Magufuli regime made no bids
for coronavirus vaccines, despite qualifying for the COVAX scheme. The
government instead promoted nonpharmaceutical approaches such as herbal
treatments and steam inhalation to combat the viral disease.
Vaccines are still optional in the country, even
for essential and frontline workers. But the president has assured the
population of nearly 60 million that anyone who wants a vaccine will be able to
get one.
The country expects more doses from the African
Union.
As of today, 102.4 million doses have been
received in 52 countries in Africa with COVAX supplying 37,505,660 doses to 46
countries in the continent according to WHO; 1,700,100 have been received in 18
countries from AVATT and 63,158,258 being received bilaterally in 41 countries
in Africa.
Morocco is the leading country in the continent
in vaccine administration; it received 25,615,511 doses and administered 98%,
South Africa received 9,174,000 doses and administered 8,811,608 doses.
Kenya has received 2,323,100 and administered 88%, Uganda received 1,139,200 doses and administered 99%, Rwanda administered 97% of 879,530 received doses while Burundi and Eritrea figures are not displayed on the WHO database.
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