11m to get Covid-19 vaccines

 Ministry of Health says government is targeting to immunise 11 million people in the country with Covid-19 vaccine, representing 60 percent of the critical population

 Ministry of Health Principal Secretary Charles Mwansambo said the 360 000 doses delivered on Friday were “just a start up” from the Covax facility which is expected to provide 3.8 million doses in total. He said the vaccination will be launched tomorrow.

He said the Malawi Government and its partners are looking at adding seven million more doses.

Mwansambo said: “The thinking is that since the vaccine has started coming, they will keep coming so we will be increasing the groups as we go. For example, we are saying after those with certain conditions, we will immunise those above 60 years. With time, we will reduce the age to 50 years.

“With our bilateral and multilateral partners, we are aiming to increase the doses by another seven million giving a total of about 11 million so that we can reach the critical 60 percent. We cannot bring it all at once. We don’t want a lot of doses to expire. So we will be getting it in tranches.”

He said the 360 000 doses received on Friday were ‘enough’ for the first targeted group.

The first group to get the jabs comprises health workers, police, immigration, Malawi Defence Force, teachers, prison warders, prisoners, those above 60 and people with underlying conditions.

At 103 003, teachers form the largest part of the group, while health workers are about 20 000. They were 17 298 by June 2016, according to the Health Sector Strategic Plan (2017- 2022).

Combined personnel in security agencies, do not exceed 50 000, with at least 14 000 prisoners, meaning, the 360 000 doses will be enough for the population targeted.

Mwansambo said the 99 833 doses from the African Union were expected in the country on Sunday, but did not arrive because some paperwork was yet to be concluded. He said government has completed paperwork for the 50 000 doses from the Government of India.

He said President Lazarus Chakwera will later this week launch the vaccination process.

Mwansambo said: “After the launch, we will have

 to roll out. We are using this period up to Thursday to distribute the vaccine throughout the country so that they can get it as soon as the President launches it.”

Speaking during a daily update on Covid-19 on Monday evening, Minister of Health Khumbize Kandondo Chiponda maintained that the vaccine is voluntary, but urged people to utilise it as government steps up efforts to combat the pandemic.

She said: “Getting vaccinated is one of many steps you can take to protect yourself and others from Covid-19 as vaccines work with your immune system so your body will be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed.

“Thirdly, let me remind the public that masks, hand wash and social distancing, help reduce your chance of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others.

“In order to suppress and reduce the spread of the disease we need combined interventions, the adherence of the preventive measures and the vaccination. Lastly, I would like to request those that are eligible to receive the vaccine in the first phase to ensure that they utilize this opportunity and get vaccinated.”

In an earlier interview, public health expert Dr Bridget MsolombaMalewezi said the model used to target people in the country

 especially the elderly, health workers and teachers was ideal to prevent deaths.

She said: “There is need for concerted efforts in community engagement and mobilisation.”

On his part, University of Malawi’s College of Medicine public health and epidemiology Professor Adamson Muula cautioned against relaxing Covid-19 preventive measures as a result of the vaccines.

He said: “That the vaccines prevent one from contracting the disease is still being looked into. What we know is that it prevents severe disease, death and hospitalisation, where the efficacy is around 70 percent. This means that even when you get the vaccine, there is still need to continue following preventive measures.”

Muula added that the current crop of vaccines are not meant for children, indicating that the country has had one death of a child to Covid-19. He said people should, therefore, not be worried with the absence of a vaccine for children.

By Monday, Malawi had recorded 32 469 cases, including 1 070 deaths, a Case Fatality Rate of 3.3 percent. Of these cases, 2 079 are imported infections and 30 390 are locally transmitted.

The country reported its first three Covid-19 cases on April 2 2020, barely a fortnight after the World Health Organisation had declared Covid-19—which originated from Wuhan, China in December 2019—a global pandemic. By December 31 2020, Covid-19 had claimed 189 lives in Malawi, but now accounts for five million deaths globally.