Health Minister decries low uptake of COVID-19 vaccine
Ministry of Health has bemoaned the current low uptake of COVID-19 vaccine in the country.
Minister of Health, Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda, disclosed this on Saturday in Blantyre during a press briefing where COVID-19 taskforce was announcing some new measures.
“Both AstraZeneca and J & J vaccines are available in all government and CHAM health facilities.
“However, lately, the uptake of the vaccines has not been high enough to reach our goal of vaccinating at least 60 per cent of eligible Malawians by the end of next year.
“We are moving slowly in terms of vaccination, which is a worrying situation,” said Chiponda.
The minister further disclosed that Southern Region is on top of list with the lowest uptake of vaccines, meaning that only few people are going for the vaccines.
“This is a worrying factor to us, as such; we have already started engaging traditional and political leaders so that we work together.
“We are also using CSOs and NGOs to assist us because this is not only government’s responsibility but rather everybody’s to take part in public awareness,” said Chiponda.
The minister then urged all Directors of Health and Social Services, all council
managers and traditional and influential opinion leaders to collaborate and implement vaccination drives that take the vaccines to where people live, especially those in far-to-reach areas and to the elderly.
“The vaccine remains our best preventive tool and reaching 60 per cent of Malawians remains our target.
“I count on all Malawians of good will to bring this pandemic under control. No one is safe until all of us are safe,” she added.
According to data from the Ministry of Health, so far, only 448, 000 people in the country are fully vaccinated whilst the total number of deaths since the pandemic started is at 2232.
Currently, Malawi is at level two of the pandemic with progressive downward trend in new cases, deaths as well as increased recoveries.
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Osangolubwalubwa, just make it mandatory.
Malawi is the country which is unique. People refusing astra Zeneca and Johnstone and Johnstone. Let us try mphini apo ndiye dziko lonse mulitema.
Uthenga oyenelera wa katemerayu ndamene akuchititsa anthu kusabauisa, munthu sungangonyamuka kumakabayitsa zinthu zomwe sukuzimvetsa kuyambira pa chiyambi pomwe. Tawalongosolerani anthu choyamba zomwe zikupezeka mu katemera yu, kuyipa kwake ndi ubwino wake wa zinthu zimenezi, chifukwa aliyense ali ndi umwini wa thupi lake. Anthu a zaumoyo nu simufuna kubwera poyera ndi chilungamo nthawi zambiri mumafulumira kuwapasa anthu mantha pa zinthu zoti inunso panokha simukuzimvetsa. Nthupi simungoyika zilizonse zomwe zithanso kubweletsa vuto loti inunso muzasowa nazo zochita.
The government kept announcing that the vaccine is not compulsory. That message is encouraging those that do not want to be vaccinated. Why is it not being made compulsory?
You can take a horse to the river, but you cannot force it to drink. It however knows it has to drink to live. When organization started creating fear of job losses for the unvaccinated, the ministry didnt do enough to condemn such acts. People are now getting more afraid of the vaccine than before. There is also coming more information against the necessity of the vaccine creating more reason for people to not take up the jabs. Government should have condemned compulsory vaccinations and rather encouraged people on its benefits.
thus penalizing those entering and leaving malawi as the whole world has some checks as to what messures required to follow before one enters thrse countries.
this poor reporting is jnot just for malawis stsics but worldwide. and think of economy !!!
hallo