“2,175,807 people are fully vaccinated in Sierra Leone”— Health Minister, Dr. Austin Demby

In an effort to embark on massive vaccination exercise sensitization across the country, the Ministry of Health and Sanitation has informed Civil Society Organizations, the Media, Paramount Chiefs, Persons Living with Disabilities, and other stakeholders that the National Covid-19 Emergency Response Centers will finally shut down on the 30 of September this year and encouraged them to embark on massive sensitization of people who have not taken the COVID-19 vaccination to come forward to be vaccinated.  According to the Health Minister, Dr. Austin Demby, as of 17 August this year, “2,175,807 people are fully vaccinated in Sierra Leone”. He made this revelation on Wednesday 17 August during an engagement meeting at the Country Lodge Hotel, Hill Station in Freetown.

Speaking at the engagement, the Health Minister acknowledged the tremendous efforts done by doctors, workers from the health ministry, traditional leaders, paramount chiefs, the media, and important partners who have been with them from every step of the way to this point and especially civil society organizations for holding them accountable.

“Talking about the architecture of the response, putting together a multi-stakeholders response, making sure that we have all hands on deck, making it very clear that this is not just a health issue, it something that requires health, social welfare, it something that needs religious leaders and stakeholders all of them coming as a unify force that’s one thing we learn from EBOLA and that is what we apply here before others start thinking about it” he stated.

He disclose that as of the 17 of August 2022, they have vaccinated 2 million, eight hundred seventy-eight thousand four hundred seventy-one individuals who have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine, two million eight hundred and eighty-eight thousand four hundred and seventy-one individuals at least received one dose of the COVID vaccines given a target of 51.6% of their target population.

“That means our target population 51.6% has received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine. So 2,175,807 people are now fully- vaccinated in Sierra Leone. What do we mean by fully vaccinated, that means they have received the first dose and the second of the vaccine” he disclosed.

The Chief Medical Officer at MoHS, Dr. Sartie Kenneh said the engagement was to inform relevant stakeholders that COVID is not over and that just like any outbreak there are come a time when you need almost all other partners to help you get your result, noting that when Covid-19 came to Sierra Leone in March 2021, they transition the NaCOVERC and it was still with the Ministry of Health and Sanitation and since the beginning and up to this moment, the Ministry has always led the biomedical part of the team. He emphasized that COVID has not over yet but however, but he added the restrictions of COVID have been going down and normalcy is coming down gradually and in some countries, they have almost released or removed all restrictions

Giving an update on the COVID-19 vaccination exercise since March 2021, the Vaccine Pillar Lead, Dr. Desmond Maada Kangbaw said the way forward for COVID-19 is vaccination.  He continued that after the outbreak started in China and it was declared by the World Health Organization, recalling that at the moment, the country registered COVID-19 on the 15 of March 2021. Dr. Desmond Maada Kangbaw said the Ministry of Health thought it fit to introduce vaccination exercise and the first people to be vaccinated and by showing leadership the gentleman of the country, President Julius Maada Bio took the vaccine, the Health Minister took the vaccine, Chief Medical Officer, Paramount Chiefs and Ministers were all involved and they took the vaccine. He informed that they now have over 1400 teams across the country, adding that almost each and every health facility is providing vaccination services across the country. 

By Mohamed Amara Gando