MOH to embark on nationwide COVID-19 Vaccination
By Alimatou S Bajinka
The Ministry of Health(MOH) will embark on a nationwide vaccination campaign against the new COVID-19 variant slated for 18-24th December 2021.
The vaccination campaign is geared towards raising awareness on the new variant.
Mr. Gebriel Gando, speaking on behave of the Executive Direction Ministry of Health, Mr Modou Njie, highlighted the significance of the vaccination campaign, saying βwe are about to roll out a COVID-19 campaign vaccination from Banjul to Kanlaji. The reason for the mass vaccination is due to the invent of the new variant, which is the Omicron variant which currently hits many countries across the globe, however the country has not yet recorded the new variant, but our lab scientists are everyday sequencing, every positive they have and verifying to see if itβs omicron or not, but as at now, we are free from itβ he remarked.
He made these remarks at a press briefing held at the office of the Ministry of Health in Kotu.
He further added βlittle is known about the new variant, it is highly transmitted, it can multiply very quicklyβ he said.
He said United Kingdom (UK) is the hardest hit of the new variant.
βUK on the 16 December recorded a number of 78,000 when they thought they have there worst time already gone, so who knows what is installed for us as a country and what is installed for us in Africaβ he quizzed.
Aja Kandeh of the Extended Program Immunisation underscored the importance of the vaccination campaign.
βCOVID 19 vaccination campaign are more effective than the normal routine surveillance, that is why we are coming up with the vaccination campaign to curb the virusβ she said.
Vaccine hesitancy, she said remains a problem in the country.
Mrs kanda applauded the woman for being the most vaccinated group, she further encourages men to emulate.
She observed that many people hesitate to visit the COVID centres for vaccination due to busy schedules.
βIf you look at the percentage it is still very low compared to our target as a country, yet our target is not met, these are some the reason that we informed the COVID 19 vaccination campaign team and we urge all to cooperate in other to combat the virusβ said concluded.
