Burkina Faso receives first shipment Of COVID-19 Vaccine
Burkina Faso has received its first shipment of 115,200 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, under the global vaccine-sharing scheme COVAX to enable the poor West African state to launch a vaccination drive.
Burkinabe Health Minister, Charlemagne Ouedraogo said, as the consignment arrived at Ouagadougou airport, “We welcome the first doses of vaccine against Covid-19 in Burkina Faso.
“Thanks to scientific progress, we now have another arsenal for the fight against COVID-19,” Ouedraogo added.
The nationwide drive set to begin Wednesday will target people most at risk.
The health ministry said in addition to the vulnerable, the first phase would target health workers and candidates for the pilgrimage to Mecca.
The COVAX facility, backed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI), aims to ensure equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines.
Burkina Faso initially intends to vaccinate three percent of a population estimated at more than 20 million.
Eventually a total of nearly 10 million Burkinabes are expected to get jabs.
Burkina Faso, which has reported 13,430 coronavirus cases and 166 deaths, is one of few nations in West Africa that has yet to launch a vaccination drive.
READ ALSO: COVID-19: Moderna vaccine deliveries to EU are on track
Kamila/Channels
