Africa not fully ready for successful COVID-19 vaccination campaign: W.H.O.

The World Health Organization  expressed concern about Africa’s preparedness to conduct a successful coronavirus vaccination campaign once the prospective vaccines are rolled out.

“The average readiness across the region is unfortunately only at 36 percent. This is really far below the desire benchmark of 80 percent to conduct a successful and efficient vaccination drive,” Dr. Richard Mihigo, W.H.O. Program Area Manager, Immunization and Vaccine Development, said.

Mihigo noted that the areas of concern were in logistics and supply chain, particularly the need to review the vaccine distribution strategy, mapping the points of storage and additional back-up storage facilities.

He added that governments needed to consider collaborating with certain private sector players due to various challenges arising from different requirements of handling the vaccines.

“As we know, the region may not have enough capacity to store the vaccine. So this (vaccine distribution strategy) should include the private sector, such as the food and beverage industries,” Mihigo said.

Two coronavirus vaccines – one from Pfizer-BioNTech and another from Moderna – were found to be more than 90 percent effective in clinical trials. However, the vaccine by Pfizer needs long-term storage at -70°C while the one by Moderna must be stored at -20 °C long term.

As such, a challenge in maintaining the cold chain for these coronavirus vaccines came up stoking fears that the poor population around the world, where such technology is sparse, will be left out.

However, one piece of encouraging news is a vaccine by Oxford/AstraZeneca can be stored and transported long term at regular fridge temperatures.

The W.H.O. has previously urged authorities in the continent to put in place mechanisms at lower levels to receive and distribute the vaccines.

Concern has been rife about the availability of a vaccine to less developed and poor countries, particularly in Africa. Several leading personalities have called for the rest of the world not to leave Africa behind in the distribution of vaccines.

Cgtn.com