By Yunus S Saliu
In its continuous efforts to meet the 70% of the population vaccinated by the end of the year, the Ministry of Health has again deployed its vaccination teams on another round of a nationwide Covid-19 vaccination campaign, nationwide.
This exercise kicked off on the 11th and will end on 20th August 2022, it is taking place at different public places across the country.
This public places for the vaccination campaign include ‘Bantabas,’ health facilities, schools, markets, crossing points, and other strategic locations.
Officials of the Ministry of Health led by Health Promotion and Education in conjunction with the EPI unit at a press briefing held on Thursday disclosed their intention to meet their target of 70% of the population vaccinated by end of the year.
It was reiterated at the briefing that the country currently has three types of vaccines, these are Johnson and Johnson, Pfizer, and Sinopharm, and they are all safe and effective in preventing severe Covid-19 infection; hospitalization; and death.
The goal of the ongoing campaign is to vaccinate all eligible individuals from the age of 12 years and above, while any vaccinated person will be issued a vaccination card which will serve as a vaccine passport. This is especially for people traveling to countries that are requesting proof of valid Covid-19 vaccination.
However, the Gambia Ministry of Health has made great efforts by providing this Covid-19 vaccination to the doorstep of the population.
After this ongoing Covid-19 vaccination campaign, the vaccination is still available and will continue at all public health facilities nationwide as an individual can walk into any one of them to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, it is free.
Aja Kandeh, the Communication Officer at the MOH at the press briefing gave an elaborate presentation on the Covid-19 vaccination while she disclosed that as of 9th August 2022, 494,512 people already vaccinated.
She noted that out of this number, 179,923 people vaccinated at the health facilities and outreach doses are 314,589 people meaning the outreach team population vaccinated more than the team at based sites or health facilities, “so the outreach method is effective.”
