CAPE TOWN - Rwanda has opened Covid-19 vaccinations for people 18 years old and above, Uganda has made vaccination for teachers mandatory and Kenya is targeting 10 million inoculations by the end of the year.
Rwanda
As of Monday, Rwanda’s third phase of vaccinations has opened up for those 18 years old and over in its capital city, Kigali, according to the country’s Ministry of Health on Sunday.
Kigali is the most densely populated city in Rwanda, generating half of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
In the next two weeks, 90% of Kigali is expected to be vaccinated due to the implementation of the country’s third phase of vaccinations.
Rwanda begins a third phase of mass COVID-19 vaccinations in Kigali. The campaign targets residents aged 18 years and above, and starts with Kigali as it’s the densely populated zone in the country with highest infection rate. #VaccinesSaveLives pic.twitter.com/YU3LPssCSf
— Ministry of Health | Rwanda (@RwandaHealth) August 23, 2021
More than one million people have been vaccinated as of Sunday as the country aims to vaccinate 30% of more than 13 million people by the end of 2021.
On August 19, Rwanda received 200,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine from China and nearly 500,000 Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine doses from the US.
Rwanda today received 200,000 doses of the Sinopharm #COVID19 vaccine with accompanying syringes, from The People's Republic of China. The donation is a valuable contribution to Rwanda's ongoing vaccination drive, targeting the most vulnerable across the country. pic.twitter.com/9z25HQixjr
— Ministry of Health | Rwanda (@RwandaHealth) August 19, 2021
There is a cumulative total of more than 82,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and 1,010 deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) statistics on Monday.
Uganda
Janet Museveni, who is the minister of Education and Sports in Uganda as well as the first lady, has “raised an alarm” for all teachers, non-teaching staff and people 18 years old and over to get vaccinated.
Today, I came to raise an alarm to the teachers, non- teaching staff and students of 18 years and above, to go and get vaccinated so that we open schools.
— Janet K Museveni (@JanetMuseveni) August 22, 2021
Please watch the video below to know how you can get vaccinated.https://t.co/jlYAXsIfIw
“Why an alarm? Because we have talked about vaccination and people don’t take it seriously, and yet we all want educational institutions to open,” Museveni said.
“I want you to know, teachers, that we are going to ask the heads of teachers and heads of institutions to be strict. To make sure that no teacher who’s not vaccinated is allowed to go to class or to go to school at all,” she continued.
Museveni reiterated that teachers without a vaccination card and therefore not vaccinated will not be allowed in learning institutions.
Results of COVID-19 tests done on 21 August 2021 confirm 104 new cases. The cumulative confirmed cases are now 118,777. #STAYSAFEUG pic.twitter.com/Pv1mf6Ffai
— Ministry of Health- Uganda (@MinofHealthUG) August 23, 2021
The Ministry of Health’s latest update as of Saturday shows a cumulative total of more than 118,000 confirmed cases and nearly 3,000 deaths, while more than 1.2 million doses of the vaccine have been administered.
On August 20, Health Minister Dr Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero reported that nine million Johnson & Johnson vaccines were expected to arrive in September from the African Union and a further 18 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine to arrive in phases by October.
Vaccines are expected in the country as follows;
— Ministry of Health- Uganda (@MinofHealthUG) August 20, 2021
- 18 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine for 9 million people expected to arrive in phases beginning October 2021 pic.twitter.com/ZGUTzw2eDg
Kenya
The Kenyan government has set a target of 10 million vaccinations by the end of 2021, which accounts for 18% of the country’s population, according to the Ministry of Health on Monday.
The government plans to vaccinate 10 million people by close of the year with 26 million people expected to have been vaccinated by the end of next year. Already 2.9 percent of the entire adult population has been vaccinated.
— Ministry of Health (@MOH_Kenya) August 23, 2021
To assist in their efforts, the first shipment of nearly 900,000 doses of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine arrived in Kenya on Monday, donated by the US.
Kenya on Monday received 880,460 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccines in yet another boost to the ongoing vaccination drive that targets to vaccinate 10 million people by the end of the year. pic.twitter.com/rrUmKsPapF
— Ministry of Health (@MOH_Kenya) August 23, 2021
The Principal Secretary of Health, Susan Mochache, also thanked the governments of France, the UK, Greece and Denmark for the cumulative contribution of more than 1.1 million doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.
“On behalf of @MOH_Kenya & all Kenyans, I sincerely thank the GOV of the United States for the kind donation & further the governments of the United Kingdom, Denmark, Greece & France who have so far donated a cumulative 1,130,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines” Susan Mochache. pic.twitter.com/9R0pDeoPVg
— Ministry of Health (@MOH_Kenya) August 23, 2021
The BBC reported that Monday was the deadline for the mandatory vaccination of public service workers in Kenya.
Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua ordered the public service earlier this month to get vaccinated or face the consequences.
Nevertheless, more than 2.3 million doses of the Covid-19 vaccine have been administered as of Sunday, the country’s Ministry of Health reported.
There has been a cumulative total of nearly 230,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19, with over 4,400 cumulative deaths.
ANA