500 000 Namibians will receive first Covid-19 vaccinations

Approximately 500 000 Namibians will be able to receive Covid-19 vaccinations once the vaccine arrives to here. That represents 20 % of the nation, according to Namibian health minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula. Namibia is one of five countries in Africa to be in line for the first Covid-19 vaccination.

Dr Shangula further revealed on Wednesday during President Hage Geingob’s national Covid-19 press briefing at State House in Windhoek that Namibia has signed a Committed Purchase Agreement (CPA) with the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation that makes the country one of the first recipients of the vaccine. The total cost of 1 million dozes is approximately N$193 000 of which Namibia already paid the required 15 %.
The first delivery is a batch of approximately 508 200 vaccines and will be followed by another 508 200 vaccines to make up for the purchase of 1 million vaccines. Health workers and vulnerable people will be first in line to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.
Dr Shangula further explained the vaccination for Covid-19 will be rolled out across the country under the auspices of the country’s Expanded Program of Immunisation (EPI).
The Covid-19 vaccination must be administered in two dozes, with a pre-determined interval.
Note 1: at the briefing on Wednesday both the Head of State Dr Geingob and the health minister confirmed there is no definite date for the arrival of the vaccination. Both leaders urged Namibians not to get slack on Covid-19 prevention measures, as uncertainty surrounding the time period for the delivery of the vaccinations is no golden bullet out of the country’s Covid-19 predicament yet.