ONLY 1 IN 4 AFRICAN HEALTH WORKERS FULLY VACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19

Fri 26 November 2021:

According to a preliminary review by the World Health Organization (WHO), only 27% of African health workers have been completely vaccinated against COVID-19, leaving the majority of the personnel on the frontlines of the pandemic vulnerable.

According to the WHO, a recent survey of 22 mostly high-income countries found that more than 80% of healthcare personnel were fully vaccinated against coronavirus.

“The majority of Africa’s health workers are still missing out on vaccines and remain dangerously exposed to severe Covid-19 infection,” WHO’s Africa director Matshidiso Moeti said after revealing just 27 percent of health workers on the continent were jabbed.

“It is important to have high vaccine coverage among health workers not only for their own protection but also for their patients and to ensure health care systems keep operating during a time of extreme need,” the WHO said.

According to the WHO, only one African country had the required number of health workers (10.9 per 1,000 population), while 16 countries had fewer than one per 1,000.

“Any loss of these essential workers to Covid-19 due to illness or death therefore heavily impacts on service provision capacity,” the WHO said.

Scientists in South Africa disclosed that they had discovered a novel Covid-19 strain with “a very high number of mutations,” which they blamed for a “exponential” increase in infections there.

Cases in Southern Africa have grown for the first time since the third wave peaked in August, climbing 48 percent from the previous week to November 21.

“With a new surge in cases looming over Africa following the end-of-year festive season, countries must urgently speed up the rollout of vaccines to health care workers,” said Moeti.

Supporting national efforts to drive up health worker vaccination, WHO is coordinating trainings and dialogue on vaccine safety and efficacy to help address doubts or misconceptions around the COVID-19 vaccine as well as advocating open and honest communication about the benefits and side effects of vaccination.

_____________________________________________________________________________

FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:

TWITTER (CLICK HERE)
https://twitter.com/IpIndependent