…Ministry of Health to start door to door vaccination
The Ministry of Health has appealed to people in the country to get Covid-19 vaccine, saying there is currently low uptake of vaccine in the country as only 466,208 people are fully vaccinated.
Minister of Health Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda yesterday held a virtual meeting with members of the press on Friday.
Malawi has an estimated population of 19 million people and only 466,200 are fully vaccinated and the Ministry
According to Kandodo, if Malawi is to win the war against COVID-19, there is a need to vaccinate at least 60% of the population considering that COVID-19 statistics are showing that the vaccines are effective.
“Let me appeal to everyone to encourage each other to get vaccinated as the Vaccines are a safe and effective way to control this pandemic from causing more damage to our day to day lives.
“We need to get our lives back, free from COVID-19 and this can only be achieved through vaccination and adhering to the COVID-19 preventive measures because it will help one from contracting the disease while the vaccines will help in reducing the risk of developing serious diseases, risk of hospitalization and deaths when on contracts COVID-19 vaccine,” she said.
She reminded Malawians that just like any other medical products, the vaccines have varied expiry dates as well and to ensure that no vaccines are wasted through expiry, the first expiry first use strategies are used in the vaccine stock management.
“The Ministry of health after noting a decline in the uptake of the Vaccines have given additional resources to the districts to ensure that we bring the Vaccines closer to the people,” She added.
Among the strategies that are being implemented include; Intensity publicity, training of more health workers as vaccinators to open up more vaccination sites and arranging immunization session in work places and churches, opening vaccination sites in all the colleges and Universities and door to door vaccinations.
Kandodo expressed hope that strategies that have been put in place will ensure that uptake of the Vaccines are increased, protecting more people from COVID-19 severe disease and at the same time not wasting through expiry.
Since the vaccination exercise commenced on 11th March, 2021, as of 16th September 2021, a total of 968,290 vaccine doses have been administration in the country so far.
Cumulatively 502,082 and 235,133 people have received the first dose and second dose of AstraZeneca vaccine respectively while 231,075 people have received Johnson and Johnson Vaccine. Cumulatively, 466,208 people are fully vaccinated.
A total of 1,403,390 vaccine doses have been received in the country to date in different shipments and out of these, 1,099,040 doses are of AstraZeneca Vaccines and 304350 doses of Johnson and Johnson Vaccine.
