COVID-19 Vaccination : Government calls for more sensitization

Cameroon’s government has said more Cameroonians need to be educated on the importance of taking the anti-COVID19 vaccine as up to 85% of the first consignment of the vaccines lie unused .

The Communication Minister, Rene Emmanuel Sadi and the Public Health Minister, and Dr. Manaouda Malachie granted a joint press conference  this June Wednesday 16, 2021 in Yaounde.

The press conference was organized to evaluate the first 61 days of the vaccination which will end on July 31, 2021.

Why is vaccination rate still low ?

According to the Public Health Minister, the first phase of the vaccination campaign targeted some 800,000 persons, but only 70,000 persons have received the vaccine since the campaign was launched  in April 2021.

61 days later, Only 22% of health care workers have received the vaccine. They are among of the target groups, expected to have been vaccinated in huge numbers.

Cameroon counts 244 vaccination centres, 575 vaccination teams , 191 regional supervisors, 191 focal points in charge of follow up of persons with adverse effects of the vaccine, yet vaccination rate is still very low.

Authorities say many Cameroonians are still holding on to conspiracy theories and information from some individuals who continue to spread fake news about the vaccine on social media.

During the press conference, the Public Health dispelled such such claims circulating on social media.

“101 -112 persons have had minor adverse effects of the vaccine. Six serious cases and three deaths have been reported, but investigations showed that no death was linked to the vaccine”.
Dr. Manaouda Malachie said.

The Way Forward

As of June 11, Cameroon has recorded 80,090 confirmed cases, 77,305 recoveries and 1,310 deaths, 1,475 active cases, 152 patients hospitalized, among them 23 on oxygen. Recovery Rate is 1.6%, severity rate 0.7% and bed occupancy rate is 4.8%”.

Although the infections have relatively dropped, Government maintains that vaccination is the only way to completely eradicate the virus.

“The vaccine is, and remains the only way of not only slowing down the pandemic, but in the long term, providing herd immunity to the population”
Rene Emmanuel Sadi, Minister of Communication

Minister Rene Emmanuel Sadi says government plans to vaccinate 20% of the country’s population before the upcoming Africa Cup Of Nations in Cameroon.

He says all Cameroonians should actively take part in the sensitization process to guarantee success.

“We are doing everything possible for everyone to participate in this vaccination campaign. Persuade, convince and encourage others to take the vaccine”.

Kathy Neba Sina 

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