A briefing in prelude to the second round of Covid-19 vaccination to run from July 7th to 11th 2021, held at the conference room of the District Medical Office Bamenda, with Dr Fomeh Gilbert, DMO of Bamenda making efforts with other key actors to ensure that communities would achieve health immunity.
Over 11 vaccination centers have been fixed, 8 mobile teams and 3 fixed teams made up of reporters, vaccinators and social mobilisers .
"We have already briefed the vaccination teams at the level of the district, developed various strategies concerning communication and how they are supposed to organize their vaccination post to make sure that the population actually have access to these vaccination centers". DMO Mezam.
Astrazeneca for the population is 8 weeks to second dose, while Synophame is for health personnel 3 weeks to second dose. Routine vaccination for Covid is ongoing on a daily basis.
"Once vaccinated a person would be given a vaccination card which can be used to get a second dose any where. But the objective is to reach over 70% of the target population. Chief of centers are advised to do an advocacy for their staff to take the vaccine and benefit from immunity against COVID-19".
"Those who are Covid-19 positive have to wait for 6months before taking the vaccine and those having the virus are not eligible for the vaccine".
For this National Immunization Campaign from July 7th to 11th, the target population is 18 years and above, but for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers who are not eligible to take the vaccine. Corvax has subsidized these vaccines.
The District Medical Officer, Dr Gilbert Nsoh Fomeh says there was alot of resistance when they vaccines came but gradually people have been recieving their doaw of it, though timidly. He believes that with more Sensitization, the target will be met.
"Turn out for the Covid-19 vaccine has been very timid especially when it just came, we understood that the vaccine is new and the population is still very skeptical about it. Coupled with the rumors and fake news about the vaccine."
"We are hoping that this second round will not have same observations like the first. The COVID-19 vaccine is very effective in preventing people from developing the severe form of COVID-19 at 100%".
According to the DMO, alot of money has been invested in this initiative of researchers. People are are by this ascertion encouraged to mobilize themselves and take the vaccine.
"I wish to call on the population to follow the example of the Arch Bishop of Bamenda who led by example by taking his own dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, we are hoping that Christians will follow suit in this round of the campaign. As the population cooperate with us, we have hopes of achieving the expected percentage in order to have health immunity against COVID-19".
By Bamenjo Petronila
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