Collage of African leaders receiving coronavirus jabs
PRETORIA, March 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Coronavirus vaccines are gradually rolling into Africa as countries feverishly prepare for immediate rollout.
The issue of skepticism however remains rife for which reason governments have been tasked with increasing education and building public confidence around the safety of vaccines.
One of the key measures of ensuring vaccine safety has been for African leaders and top government officials to publicly receive their COVID-19 jabs.
With that, a number of people it is believed will reconsider their position on the vaccines whiles for many others, the doubts will continue to linger.
EQUATORIAL GUINEA: On Monday Feb 15, the President of Equatorial Guinea, Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, received his first dose of the vaccine against Covid-19.
It took place at the People’s Palace in Malabo, where doctors from the La Paz Medical Centre in Sipopo explained the modalities associated with the doses before administering it to the president.
The country had received 200,000 doses of the vaccine as a donation from the Chinese government through Sinopharm, the Chinese manufacturers.
After receiving the intra-muscular injection of Sars-Cov Vero Cell Inactivated, the president also received the corresponding vaccination card.
SOUTH AFRICA: On Feb 17, South Africa administered its first COVID-19 vaccine with President Cyril Ramaphosa getting the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) shot alongside health workers. The first shot was given at the Khayelitsha District Hospital in Cape Town.
Ramaphosa said in a statement that 80,000 J&J doses had been prepared for distribution across the country and that his inoculation was to demonstrate his government’s confidence in the vaccine.
The J&J vaccine is currently being rolled out initially as a research study to further evaluate it in the field, with up to 500,000 health workers set to be immunised.
SENEGAL: On Feb 25 Senegal President Macky Sall took his Sinopharm shot live on television. “Just vaccinated for #Covid19. Hope is allowed for all. I appeal to the entire population to do the same.
“Together, we have been fighting an enemy who threatens our health and lives. Today that we have the weapon to reduce the spread of our enemy or even eliminate it, we must not miss the opportunity,” his post on Facebook read in part.
The West African nation took delivery of its first vaccine consignment from China’s Sinopharm early last week but it was Health Minister Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr who took the first shot publicly.
Senegal bought the doses and decided to donate 10,000 jabs each to neighbouring Equatorial Guinea and The Gambia.
GHANA: On March 1, Ghana made double history with the global equitable vaccine facility, COVAX platform. The first vaccine delivery of the platform was to Ghana and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, became the first person the world over to receive a COVAX jab.
He took the jab at the 37 Military Hospital in the capital Accra. He was accompanied by his wife Rebecca Akufo-Addo. Ghana last week received 600,000 doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines from the Serum Institute of India, AZ/SII.
Ghana is aiming to vaccinate some 20 million of the population in order to achieve herd immunity. Virus cases continue to drop after a spike earlier this year.
IVORY COAST received the second COVAX vaccines last Friday, two days after Ghana received supplies but they started rollout Monday with frontline health workers receiving the first shots.
Over in ZIMBABWE, the vice president and health minister Constantino Chiwenga was the first to receive a jab. The southern African country also received a donation of shots from China’s Sinopharm manufacturers.
It is expected that in the coming days, more African leaders will opt to publicly receive their jabs when vaccines finally arrive. — NNN-AGENCIES
