Africa News of Tuesday, 22 June 2021
Source: www.ghanaweb.live
2021-06-22Burundi, Eritrea - The African countries 'uninterested' in COVID-19 vaccines
Vaccinations in Africa are way below the global average according to experts
Coronavirus cases have been recorded in all 54 African nations since the virus entered Egypt for the first time in February 2020.
The initial hurdle was how countries could get test kits in order to detect cases and work to control spread.
Other issues like virus control measures - includig lockdowns, closure of borders, closure
Read full articleof schools and restrictions on movement were also implemented in different measure largely across the continent.
A year on, the issue of vaccines is the big issue as countries race to inoculate their population as a sure way to fight COVID-19.
As over 52 countries scramble at different stages of the vaccine acquisition process, two countries have remained uninterested - Burundi and Eritrea.
The Burundi government is on record to have said the country will study how vaccines work before taking a decision on the issue.
For Eritrea, located in the Horn of Africa region, government has yet to comment in vaccinations at all, the country remains one of Africa's least impacted.
As at February 2021, there were four uninterested countries with Tanzania and Madagascar also expressing open disinterest in jabs.
With the death of former Tanzania president John Magufuli, his successor Samia Suluhu Hassan announced a change in tack with the fight against Coronavirus.
She constituted a body of experts to advice on COVID-19 fight which committee recommended in part that vaccination be considered.
Government has since asked foreign missions to import vaccines for use if need be but a definitive national plan is yet to be announced.
Over in Madagascar, president Rajoelina insisted on fighting the virus with an unproven herbal cure, COVID-Organics, but a spike in cases in the last few months forced government to announce plans to acquire vaccines.
Both countries have since applied to join COVAX - the UN-led equitable vaccine platform that is supplying most African countries with free jabs.
Some vaccines so far deployed across Africa include:
Oxford AstraZeneca by Serum Institute of India
Russian Sputnik V
China's Sinopharm and SinoVax
India's Covaxin
America's Johnson and Johnson, Pfizer
