The second phase of vaccination against CID-19 starts next Monday and is expected to reach more than 217,000 people at high risk of developing severe disease.
The act is part of the Health sector’s efforts to reduce the impact of the disease.
The first immunisation phase covered over 80,000 health professionals from all sub-systems, elderly people in nursing homes, morgue workers, gravediggers and diabetics.
The deputy national director of Public Health, Benigna Matsinhe, assured that the Government will continue to mobilise resources for the acquisition of more vaccines, aiming at reaching the goal of immunising 16 million people until next year.
For this purpose, the sector’s technicians will administer two doses of the Oxford/Astrazeneca immuniser, produced by India’s Serum Institute, with a two-month interval between vaccines.
Matsinhe explained that the vaccines will be administered to final year health course students, diabetics, patients on immunosuppressive therapy, renal, cardiac and respiratory insufficiency patients, prisoners, prison workers and primary school teachers over 60 years old.
He added that other at-risk groups will be vaccinated as more immunizers become available, either through the COVAX global platform or the Ministry of Health’s direct procurement mechanism.
