Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE Covid-19 vaccinations started here on Thursday, with Minister of Health, Social Welfare, Elders, Gender and Children, Mr Ahmed Nassor Mazrui getting the first shot.
Minister Mazrui urged frontline health workers, officers at border/entry points, workers in tourism industry and media personnel to get the jabs.
“It is now official in our country. I’m happy to be vaccinated. The vaccine is safe, I urge all in the frontline, including journalists, to get vaccinated,” Mazrui said soon after getting the jab at Lumumba Health Centre designated for Covid-19 testing and vaccination.
He said “Based on the consultation done by our experts, l am confident to inform you that we are ready to take our vaccination. After the frontline workers, elderly people from the age of 60 will be vaccinated before other members of the general public.”
Accompanied by other senior staff of the health ministry, Mr Mazrui urged healthcare workers and the public not to be scared as the ‘SINOVAC vaccine, currently being used, is safe, since it has been approved by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Zanzibar currently has six Covid-19 patients, according to the Minister, who put emphasis on observing health precautions.
He said they started with ten thousand doses before receiving another consignment of one-hundred thousand, and thanked China for the donation.
He said that the vaccines have been prescribed globally, adding that they will ensure that the entire population has access to safe and effective vaccines, including other types of vaccines recommended by the WHO, and that the vaccination is purely voluntary.
On a separate occasion, the Second Vice-President, Hemed Suleiman Abdulla yesterday received documents from the China Consul General here, Ambassador Zhang Zhisheng, indicating the one hundred thousand SINOVAC vaccine for Covid-19 donated to Zanzibar.
“We are prepared and committed to help Zanzibar and other countries in the battle against Covid-19,” Mr Zhisheng said as the second VP thanked the country for its continuing support in various development programmes.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Mazrui yesterday also announced the launch of mass distribution of treated mosquito nets. A total of 630,000 insecticide-treated mosquito nets are expected to be distributed to 262, 561 (including 95, 986 in Pemba) households targeting to benefit at least 1, 373,872 people.
The distribution starts Saturday July 24, 2021, and the Minister told the audience at the launching ceremony held at Muuungano School that although Zanzibar malaria prevalence remains below one percent in the past ten years, 13,208 people were tested malaria positive in the period of July 2019 and June 2020, proof that the problem exists.
About 27 percent of the tested had travelled outside Zanzibar, which may have contributed to contracting malaria.
“Our objective is to eliminate malaria from our country, we will succeed if you show seriousness by using the mosquito nets, get involved in awareness campaign for behavior change and keep the environment clean to eliminate breeding areas for mosquitoes, do the testing in certified health centres, and use approved medicines,” Mazrui said, urging all resident to ensure they get the mosquito net from community leader (Sheha).
