Africa-Press – South-Africa. The Department of Health says that it will continue offering Covid-19 vaccinations after the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that Covid-19 no longer constituted a public health emergency of international concern.
WHO made the announcement on Friday.
According to the health department, this doesn’t mean the pandemic is over.
“The fact of the matter is, the pandemic remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in high risk populations such as the elderly and people living with comorbidities,” spokesperson Foster Mohale said.
He added that the number of cases was far lower now than during the height of the pandemic, and is therefore no longer viewed as a public health emergency.
“The department, in line with WHO recommendations, continues to recommend vaccination especially for high routine health services and will continue to offer services aimed at preventing and treating Covid-19 including vaccination services.”
WHO’s decision came after its independent emergency committee on the Covid-19 crisis agreed during its 15th meeting on Thursday that the crisis no longer merited the organisation’s highest level of alert.
However, it added that this decision did not mean the danger was over, cautioning that the emergency status could be reinstated if the situation changes.
According to WHO, the pandemic has claimed the lives of at least 20 million people.
For More News And Analysis About South-Africa Follow Africa-Press
