Health Minister Dr. Jonas Chanda says Zambia has been allocated doses of the Johnson and Johnson Covid-19 vaccine in addition to the COVAX facility.
Speaking during the routine COVID 19 briefing, Health minister Dr. Chanda said the government through the Ministry of Health continues to explore additional options for vaccine acquisition through the three-pillar strategy and it recently received communication from the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team (AVATT) established by the African Union indicating that Zambia has been allocated doses of the Johnson and Johnson’s in addition to the COVAX facility.
Dr. Chanda said that a local task team is this week scheduled to hold a meeting to review the guidelines for the Private Sector and Non-State Actors who have expressed interest in supporting the vaccine acquisition.
“Our local task team is this week scheduled to hold a meeting to review the guidelines for the Private Sector and Non-State Actors who have expressed interest in supporting the vaccine acquisition. The Ministry of Health wishes to guide that our engagement of these private players will proceed cautiously with approved organisations being represented.” Dr. Chanda said.
The Health Minister added that the team will focus on aligning to the country’s Covid-19 Vaccine Acquisition and Deployment processes while ensuring that the safety and efficacy criteria are met throughout the program.
Meanwhile, Dr. Chanda says his Ministry is yet to determine if the country will record a “spike” in case of numbers following the just ended long Easter weekend and the risk imposed by the events held.
“We remain observant of any new cohorts of cases that may probably have resulted from the “few unsupervised super-spreader events” that may have occurred over the Easter weekend. We are yet to determine if we will record a “spike” in case numbers following this long Easter weekend and the risk imposed by the events held.” the Minister said.
Meanwhile, the country has in the last 24 hours recorded 62 new cases of COVID 19 out of 2,438 tests conducted with 2 new deaths recorded from Northern and Southern Provinces.
160 discharges were recorded from both the COVID-19 isolation facilities and home management with the country currently having 2,509 active cases, of which 76 are admitted to COVID-19 isolation facilities with 58 on Oxygen therapy and 10 in critical condition.
Dr. Chanda says case admissions have remained stagnant adding that the severity of disease remains high and similarly mortality continues to be recorded at a steady rate, with the numbers from Northern Province currently causing concern.
He added that it is against this background that On Thursday, a technical team led by the Zambia National Public Health Institute, will hold a review meeting to analyze the performance of the multisectoral response to the COVID-19 as a detailed assessment of the performance in each of the 8 Pillars is critical in preparing for the probable third wave anticipated to occur during the cold months of June and July 2021.
Private players will simply be the who is who among ‘Pharaoh’s Fanatics’. I am sure they’re already saying “naleelo twalya” 🙁
I just hope West African fraudsters will not be sneaked in with fakes alongside real vaccines; God help us.
My comment already caught up in “awaiting moderation”, yaaba
Hurry up don’t just talk we want to roll our sleeves up pronto, there can’t be a spike, most of us were holed up at home, there was no fuel to make one drive around carelessly.
My wife has continued to pray for those Tank Drivers who went on strike, and wishes that it becomes an annual event, every Easter No fuel!.
If I should just hear ati piiiim. The upnd diasporans were busy laughing and wishing their own relative here in Zambia to die, all because of hh. This is how brain washed these tribal Bush pigs are. We thank you for this ba minister. I cannot wait to get the vaccine and head to kafue with upnd members wives
They now start giving Zambia LEFTOVERS, after vaccinating all Americans including prisoners.
Nostra how can it be left overs when in most so called rich countries they are still vaccinating older people and haven’t fully vaccinated the entire nation. Zambian will get vaccinated before upnd diapaorans get it. Because there abroad you are considered second class animals
Kaisala wilansekesha.
Awaiting their response……
There was a report a few days ago of up to 15 million contaminated doses of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine in the USA. Why do I have this feeling that something, somewhere is not right? Zambian Health authorities must be very, very careful with their vaccine acquisition.
J and J vaccine is a death notice. Research the lawsuits associated with the above.
Most famous for the baby powder asbestos used in the product.
I wouldn’t take any vaccine that’s on offer. Take these vaccines at your own peril. Do your own research
vaccines coming for how long now ??? this is typical of this government promises promises
it will be free cause we have no funds as account 99 empty …
UNLIMITED money for CAMPAIGNS but not for vaccines
our caring government ??????????? cr*p !!
second class ANIMAL that is the most fitting discription of tr0ll
WILL THE VACCINES BE FREE OR NOT?
Take the vaccine when available and don’t listen to these weirdos exclaiming that the vaccine is unsafe. We have already administered over 100 Million people in the United States and continue to do so with 4 million a day. I’m vaccinated fully, no side effect and alive. If you have a few people get side effects that is normal, there is nothing that is 100% with no side effect. I warn you, it is better to have a few side effects than die from stupidity.
Hope it’s donated,let’s learn to purchase things.
Hope it’s not donated,let’s learn to buy things
KZ going to Kafue? NOT! He has fled to UK, scared of the August 12 defeat! Don’t come back corrupt PF dog bcoz after election day the police will be commandeered by your worst enemy!
Time is of the essence, allow KZ to enjoy whilst it last.
YEAH I AGREE LET KZ ENJOY THE LAST FEW DAYS >>>>> THEN PETSFOOD KIKI
Why do the wealth, education and opportunity dynamics of the mid 20th-century (i.e. Zambia is poor, Zambia is retarded, Zambia is broken) continue unchanged in 2021? It’s baffling. There is no universal law that says Zambia must remain at the bottom of the pile.