Tujoromajo Kasuto
A consignment of 250 000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine bought by the Namibian government from China National Pharmaceutical Group, arrived in the country today 16 July, a day before scheduled.
According to the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), Deputy Executive Director, Petronella Masabane, the Government forked out about N$ 3.3 million, N$ 130.14 per dose for the 250 000 doses. , Kalumbi Shangula, announced the presence of the Delta variant as the country is currently experiencing a Third Wave of Covid-19 and too announced all vaccination sites were closed as from 13 July due to the lack of vaccines in the Khomas Region.
At the 31st Covid-19 public briefing on 15 July, he however stated that 250 000 doses of Sinopharm were set to arrive on Saturday. Shangula additionally adds that, “distribution of the vaccines will be done over Saturday and Sunday. Vaccination will resume on Monday the 19 July 2021 countrywide. These vaccines were bought from China by government”.
According to Shangula, the Ministry also expects delivery of 40 800 doses of AstraZeneca from Covax Facility as from next week. “The exact date of arrival of the vaccines has not been communicated yet.” The Health minister also says that Namibia also expects about 501,333 doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. A 333 333 doses are procured by the Government from the Africa Union Platform. “These doses will be delivered in a staggered fashion from August to December.” While the remaining 168 000 doses are donated to the country by the United States of America through the Covax Facility, and are anticipated between July and September 2021.
Namibia up to this point has administered 166,616 doses of both AstraZeneca and Sinopharm vaccines, acquired through the COVAX facility, as donations from China and India. Consequently only around 6.7 percent of the population has been inoculated, about 53.3 percent short of the targeted 60 percent the country needs to reach herd immunity for the country return to normalcy.
