Contrary to his inept lying counterpart in South Africa, Namibian Health Minister Dr Kalumbi Shangula said on Wednesday that Namibia has made excellent progress in preparation to acquire suitable Covid-19 vaccines. He reported that the country has already paid N$ 1 626 240 to acquire enough vaccine for 20% of the population through the COVAX facility. “The government has also signed a financial commitment agreement on the 5th November 2020 for the remaining $9 096 780 and COVAX has informed us on 6 January 2021 that it may be in a position to initiate a small-scale ‘first wave’ of deliveries using the Pfizer vaccine as early as the end of January or early February,” he said.
Apart from the COVAX facility, there have been engagements with Pfizer on a bilateral basis, China, Russia and other countries that are making great progress in the manufacturing of Covid-19 vaccines for possible bilateral deals and or donations while Namibia’s Covid-19 National Vaccine Taskforce (the more efficient pendant to the South African NCCC) was busy putting mechanisms and logistics in place to roll out the vaccine.
Similar to other countries, front-line healthcare workers would be prioritised followed by population groups vulnerable to Covid-19.
Announcing new measures to curb the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus, Shangula said new cases continued to rise, creating a high-level of suspicion that the more transmissible and virulent variant of the coronavirus was now circulating in Namibia.