EXPECT VACCINE SOON - MINISTER

MBABANE – The clock is ticking for emaSwati who are listed on the first phase of vaccination for COVID-19.

This is because the much awaited Oxford University/AstraZaneca vaccine is expected to arrive in the country anytime soon. According to the Minister of Health, Lizzie Nkosi, the 108 000 doses of the vaccine which were expected mid or late February would be delivered soon, subject to the finalisation of the transportation logistics with the UNICEF Supply Division. Nkosi stated that the balance of the 20 per cent of the vaccine doses were expected in the second quarter of 2021 and the exact delivery dates would be communicated closer to the date.

Distribution

The minister said the African Union, on the other hand, had secured a provisional 270 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for distribution across the continent in 2021, including Eswatini. She said the country had been allocated 15 per cent, about 237 328 of the population’s doses from the African Union platform (Africa Medical Supplies Platform). Nkosi added that the breakdown of the allocation from the African Union would be Pfizer/BioNTech Vaccine (43 950), Oxford University/AstraZeneca Vaccine (87 899) and Johnson & Johnson Vaccine (105 479).

Expected

All these doses, she said, were expected in the second quarter of 2021. Further, Minister Nkosi said the country was also engaged in other bilateral consultations with the manufacturers of the COVID-19 vaccines, with the aim of sourcing additional vaccine doses to cover all the eligible population which was 18 years and above. Meanwhile, Swaziland Democratic Nurses Union (SWADNU) President Bheki Mamba said they were not prepared to take the vaccine as frontline workers. Mamba alleged that government was pushing the AstraZaneca vaccine on them, while they took a better one which is why they changed politicians not to take the vaccine in the first phase. He said despite that government was refusing to engage them, eventually they would as the AstraZaneca vaccine would create confusion.

Reluctant

The president invited government to engage them, adding that most healthcare workers would be reluctant to take the vaccine if there were no engagements to find means on how they could complement the low efficacy of the vaccine. He said it would not help government not to engage them on the matter and bring in a vaccine which would be effective. Mamba said South Africa rejected the AstraZaneca vaccine on a scientific argument. “On what grounds does Eswatini continue with the vaccine and ignore scientific facts which have been proven?” he asked rhetorically. He said they were willing to meet with the relevant stakeholders, including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and find a way forward on the matter.

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