mass vaccination - The African Mirror

Jun

2021

Carrot or stick? How countries are tackling COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy

SONIA ELKS GET a COVID-19 jab in California and you could walk away with a lot more than a sore arm - a $1.5 million lottery jackpot is up for grabs for residents of the state who get vaccinated. From dollars to donuts, a dizzying array of incentives are being offered by authorities and companies around the world in a bid to win around the vaccine hesitant as they seek to turn a page on the pandemic. But as countries strive to reach 'herd immunity' - where enough people are protected against a disease that it becomes difficult for infections…

Dec

2020

By The African Mirror

In COVID-19 milestone for West, Britain starts mass vaccination

COVID-19

ALISTAIR SMOUT A 90-year-old grandmother became the world's first person to receive a fully-tested COVID-19 shot on Tuesday, as Britain began mass-vaccinating its people in a global drive that poses one of the biggest logistical challenges in peacetime history. Health workers started inoculating the most vulnerable with the vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech, with the country a test case for the world as it contends with distributing a compound that must be stored at -70C (-94F). Margaret Keenan, who turns 91 in a week, was the first to receive the shot, at a hospital in Coventry, central England. "It's…

Nov

2020

By The African Mirror

Africa faces wait for mass COVID-19 vaccination

NEWS

MASS vaccination against COVID-19 is unlikely to start in Africa until midway through next year and keeping vaccines cold could be a big challenge, according to the continent's disease control group. Some European countries expect to start rolling out vaccination campaigns as early as January. But health campaigners are worried that Africa will find itself near the back of the queue for COVID-19 vaccines after wealthier nations signed a raft of bilateral vaccine supply deals with pharmaceutical companies. "We are very concerned as a continent that we will not have access to vaccines in a timely fashion," said John Nkengasong,…