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Mar
15
2021
By The African Mirror
Slow start to Zimbabwe’s vaccination campaign

Slow start to Zimbabwe’s vaccination campaign

COVID-19
SCEPTICISM and concerns over the government’s lack of transparency in dealing with many aspects of the Covid-19 pandemic have derailed the plan to vaccinate frontline workers. The first phase of Zimbabwe’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign has been extended in most parts of the country owing to a low turnout of the targeted groups. The initial programme, which started at the end of February, was supposed to be finished at the end of the first week in March, but the Ministry of Health and Child Care has given the green light to let it continue in order to reach the set target…
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Mar
14
2021
By The African Mirror
Africa a rocky terrain for these vaccines

Africa a rocky terrain for these vaccines

COVID-19
JOE BAVIER and DAVID LEWIS RUSSIA and China are racing to plug the COVID-19 vaccine gap in Africa, hoping to cement their influence on a continent where many countries have yet to administer a single shot. But, so far, vaccine donations from Beijing and Moscow have been small, the commercial deals they offer are costly, and some African governments are wary about a lack of data. As rich countries ramp up their inoculation drives, Africa, without the resources to pre-order Pfizer, AstraZeneca , Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, is being left behind. With Western nations facing criticism for hoarding…
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Mar
14
2021
By The African Mirror
J&J’s vaccine approved for emergency listing

J&J’s vaccine approved for emergency listing

COVID-19
STEPHANIE NEBEHAY and EMMA FARGE THE World Health Organization on Friday approved the emergency listing of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine, giving its seal of approval to expedite use especially in countries with weaker regulatory agencies. It is the third COVID-19 vaccine after the two-shot regimens of Pfizer/BioNTech and AstraZeneca to receive backing from the WHO, and the first requiring just a single injection. The listing covers use in all countries, for roll-out of the vaccine facility COVAX and follows the European Medicines Agency (EMA) authorisation announcement on Thursday. "Every new, safe and effective tool against COVID-19 is another step…
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Mar
14
2021
By The African Mirror
DRC delays AstraZeneca rollout

DRC delays AstraZeneca rollout

COVID-19
THE Democratic Republic of Congo has delayed the rollout of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines, citing the suspension of the use of the shots by several European countries, two health ministry spokesmen said on Friday. Congo received 1.7 million AstraZeneca doses via the global COVAX vaccine-sharing programme on March 2 but is yet to start its inoculation programme. A World Health Organization expert advisory committee is currently looking at AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine after some countries paused distribution of the shot, but a spokeswoman said there is no reason not to use it. Health authorities in Denmark, Norway, Iceland and Bulgaria have suspended…
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Mar
14
2021
By The African Mirror
WHO tries to quash vaccine nervousness

WHO tries to quash vaccine nervousness

COVID-19
THE World Health Organization squarely endorsed AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine on Friday, as Thailand joined a number of smaller European countries in suspending the use of the shot because of sporadic reports of blood clots among recipients. Bulgaria also joined Denmark, Norway and Iceland, which all stopped using the vaccine on Thursday. Austria, Italy, Luxembourg, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia stopped using certain batches. "Until all doubts are dispelled..., we are halting inoculations with this vaccine," Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said. His health minister, Kostadin Angelov, said a 57-year-old woman had died of heart failure 15 hours after receiving an AstraZeneca…
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Mar
13
2021
By The African Mirror
Kenya extends nationwide curfew

Kenya extends nationwide curfew

COVID-19
KENYA'S President Uhuru Kenyatta has extended a nationwide overnight COVID-19 curfew for 60 days to battle a third wave of infections in East Africa’s wealthiest economy. Kenya, which has so far had at least 111,185 cases and 1,899 deaths, reported 829 new infections on Thursday, the highest daily number since last year. In a televised address, Kenyatta said the positive test rate hit 13% in March compared to January’s 2%. “Unfortunately, it is still rising,” he said. Lockdowns and other restrictions have stifled revenues and hampered growth. “Last year, fellow Kenyans, the Kenyan economy was projected to grow by 6.2%,…
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Mar
13
2021
By The African Mirror
Nigeria at sixes and sevens on rollout

Nigeria at sixes and sevens on rollout

COVID-19
NIGERIA has started to vaccinate people after receiving its first batch of COVID-19 vaccines. Virologist and senior research fellow Dr Solomon Bakarey provides some insights on how the country should go about the rollout plan. SOLOMON BAKEREY, Senior research fellow, University of Ibadan The government hasn’t unveiled a coherent plan. How much of a problem is this? It’s a big problem, and it’s making Nigerians sceptical about the vaccines. Many countries, including some African neighbours, have rolled out distribution plans for the vaccines they’ve procured. But Nigerian government is yet to unveil a coherent plan. In my view this means…
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Mar
13
2021
By The African Mirror
A million unplanned pregnancies

A million unplanned pregnancies

COVID-19
ANASTASIA MOLONEY NEARLY 12 million women in poorer countries lost access to contraception in the pandemic, leading to 1.4 million unplanned pregnancies, according to the the United Nations. Estimates by the U.N. sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, showed women lost access to contraception as the pandemic drew resources away from family planning or hit supply chains. Women also lost out due to coronavirus travel restrictions, clinic closures and stay-at-home orders, the UNFPA said. "We must ensure that women and girls have uninterrupted access to life-saving contraceptives and maternal health medicines," UNFPA's head, Natalia Kanem, said in a statement. "The…
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Mar
12
2021
By The African Mirror
Kenya’s Raila Odinga contracts COVID-19

Kenya’s Raila Odinga contracts COVID-19

COVID-19
AFRICAN MIRROR REPORTER TOP Kenyan politician Raila Odinga has become the most high profile leader to contract COVID-19. Odinga, 76, the leader of the Orange Democratic Movement, has not shown any symptoms and has gone into quarantine after he tested positive on Thursday evening. He had gone to hospital after developing fatigue. In a statement, Odinga pronounced himself as fit and in good shape. “Despite the fact that I feel strong and in good shape after a few days in hospital, I have agreed with my doctors to undertake the mandatory quarantine,” he said. According to his personal doctor, Dr…
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