Rwanda’s ministry of Health on Sunday announced it had kicked off the National Vaccination Program targeting high-risk groups starting with frontline healthcare staff.
The initial phase according to Rwandan authorities will be followed by a wider roll-out this month with supplies expected from COVAX Facility and the AU’s Africa Medical Supplies Platforms.
According to a statement released by the ministry, the vaccination program took off using World HO-approved COVID-19 vaccines acquired through international partnerships in limited quantities. The statement also noted that the vaccines were also approved were acquired through international partnerships.
The move comes at a time the virus continues to claim lives in the country, just like it is in the rest of the world.
The national vaccination program is expected to be done in phases, the statement noted.
“This initial phase will be followed by a wider roll out this month with supplies expected from the Covax facility and the AU’s Africa Medical Supplies Platform,” the statement reads in part.
“Rwanda’s Covid-19 vaccination is ready, with infrastructure, protocol and personnel in place,” the statement added.
In the first phase, the vaccine will go to frontline workers in healthcare including but not limited to those working in treatment centres and Intensive Care Units (ICUs).
This phase, officials noted, will also see the vaccination of people above 65 and those whose immunity is weak and is likely to easily be compromised like those with cancer, diabetes, HIV and other serious diseases.
Also to be considered are other groups because of their vulnerabilities like correctional facility inmates, people in refugee and security personnel that are exposed to the risk of the virus in one way or another.
Rwanda has so far confirmed 17,267 positive cases of whom 14,477 have already recovered. The country has 14 patients who are in critical condition.