Somalia: Farmajo receives 1st dose of COVID vaccine

MOGADISHU, Somalia – The outgoing President of Somalia Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has on Tuesday received the first shot of the historic COVAX vaccine to launch a vaccination campaign in the country.

Farmajo described his decision as an important example to make every Somali see how safe the vaccines are and feel comfortable taking them.

“I expressed faith in the Vaccination efforts by endorsing it myself earlier today as we continue distributing it to ensure the protection of our citizens especially Frontline workers. Let us flatten the curve by adhering to the safety measures to Stop Covid-19 in Somalia,” said Farmajo.

Similarly, the health minister Fowsiya Abikar also took turns to undergo the COVID-19 vaccination procedures at Martini Hospital, affirmed the safety of the vaccine, and urged all Ghanaians to accept it.

A vaccine roll-out plan has been put together to inoculate the most vulnerable sections of the population. This phase which is the first is targeting frontline healthcare workers and elderly people.

Somaliland has received 65,000 doses of Oxford AstraZeneca COVID19 vaccines from the COVAX facility and 40,000 doses arrived in Puntland today. The rest of the Federal States will get their allocated shares.

On Monday, March 15, Somalia Monday received the first shipment of 300,000 doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine to help contain the spread of the COVID-19 in the Horn of Africa nation.

Despite the new vaccination campaign, the government said that all the current restrictions, including closure of education institutions in the country to curb the spread of the virus, were to remain in place.

The country recorded 379 deaths since last year when the first Covid-19 case confirmed in Mogadishu.

GAROWE ONLINE