J&J COVID-19 VACCINES COMING
By Etambuyu Katota-The Ministry of Health says 165,600 Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccines are expected in the country this month from the United States of America under the COVAX facility.
Health Permanent secretary Technical Services KENNEDY MALAMA says an additional 4.4 million doses of the Johnson and Johnson vaccines with support from the African Union are also expected.
Dr. MALAMA says the COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed in all the 10 provinces and not only Lusaka.
He however says Lusaka province has the highest demand.
Dr. MALAMA says Health personnel are currently overwhelmed with the numbers turning up for the vaccine.
He has urged everyone queuing up for the vaccines to be patient as everything is being done to ensure the process is made quicker.
Dr. MALAMA says the vaccination exercise will not be conducted on Sunday 11th July 2021 to allow for data collection and entry.
Speaking in an interview with ZNBC News in Lusaka shortly after conducting checks at some designated COVID-19 vaccine points, Dr. MALAMA disclosed that the country has in the last 24hrs recorded 2,383 new cases of COVID-19, and 39 deaths. Dr. MALAMA said there is also a reduction in the number of admissions.
He said people must however not drop their guard as the pandemic is still at its height.
Dr. MALAMA also said the country must not rule out the possibility of a 4th wave of the pandemic.
He has since called for COVID-19 preventive interventions to be adhered to.