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Home Health Zambia’s cabinet approves COVAX vaccine

Zambia’s cabinet approves COVAX vaccine

by Kingsley Chiahemen
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Zambia’s Cabinet has approved the acquisition, deployment and financing of the COVID-19 vaccine, a senior government official said on  Thursday.

The Cabinet has agreed to acquire the free COVAX vaccine financed by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) under the World Health Organisation (WHO) arrangement for the first phase.

Minister of Health, Jonas Chanda, said about 3,677,000 Zambians aged 18 years and above out of the targeted eligible 8,436,000 people will be vaccinated in the first phase, representing 20 per cent of the total population.

Among the people targeted for the first phase are health workers, security officers, immigration officials, traders, traditional leaders and old people over 65 years who are considered more at risk.

He said the government had received expert advice that the vaccine should only be administered to people above 18 years.

Chanda said the government will be open to receiving support from cooperating partners on the second phase of the vaccination program, but noted that all vaccines to be administered will have to be approved by the country’s medicines regulator.

He stressed that the vaccination program will be done on a voluntary basis and that there will be no mandatory vaccination.(Xinhua/NAN)

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