Africa-Press – Lesotho. Following the launch of the COVID-19 vaccination programme on March 10, the government is set for additional 200 000 vaccines. The country first received the first batch of 36 000
AstraZeneca doses on March 4 from the Covax facility. Sesiu sa Letšoele le Beta Poho is set to procure 200 000 doses of AstraZeneca and Moderna vaccines.
This is per their statement issued last week Thursday. “We are pleased to notify Basotho that Sesiu Sa Letšoele [le] Beta Poho has sourced AstraZeneca vaccines (AZ1222)… We have
provisionally secured Moderna subject to World Health Organization approval and the subsequent lifting of US manufactured vaccines embargo. “Sesiu’s initial order quantity will be 200 000
doses which will be delivered immediately subject to the sought authorization by Government of Lesotho,” reads their statement in pertinent part. According to Sesiu, the country will be ‘fully’
vaccinated by end of 2021. It envisages to have 500 000 employees inoculated this month and another 60 000 population of employees and clientele by June this year.
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister Dr. Moeketsi Majoro has previously announced the government plans to vaccinate about 1.4 million population. It is expected that Lesotho will reach herd immunity in 2022.
Sesiu sa Letšoele le Beta Poho is an initiative by the business community where business have pledged to contribute funds to procure the COVID-19 vaccines and members of the public contribute towards this
funding. It aims to raise M100 million by June and has thus far raised M40 million. Sesiu sa Letšoele le Beta Poho Trustee Member Phafane Nkotsi said the vaccines will arrive as soon as the Ministry of Health (MoH)
has given them an authorisation to procure the vaccine. He said the trust will do ‘everything’ to get the authorisation from the MoH. Attempts to get the reaction and ask them when they
will authorise Sesisu from the (MoH) did not materialise as the Principal Secretary (PS)’s mobile was not answered and had not replied to the question
sent to him on WhatsApp at the time of going to the press last night. Also the Minister of Health Hon. Semano Sekatle said he was on sick leave and was unable to afford Informative Newspaper an interview.
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