By: Dawda Baldeh
The Ministry of Health in partnership with the United Nations International Child Emergency Fund (UNICEF), is conducting nationwide coronavirus voluntary vaccination to ensure people are vaccinated to be protected against the virus.
Ebrima F. Colley, the Regional Health Promotion North Bank Region East, said the vaccination campaign has not been easy due to the misconceptions people have about the vaccines.
However, he said their continuous engagement and sensitization have yielded dividends.
“It was challenging to make sure that people who should get the vaccines accepted the vaccines. But from round 1-9 we have vaccinated 48.8% of the population in the North Bank East,” he explained.
According to Mr. Colley, they are faced with challenges where people claimed to have taken the vaccines which they are unable to verify sometimes.
“If you tell me that you have taken the vaccines, I will ask you to show your card but if I go further probably an elderly person might say that I think he is lying,” he added.
Mr. Colley commended the people of North Bank East for accepting and cooperating with the vaccinators in the region without any resistance.
He added that the ministry through their partnership with UNICEF is making everything possible to ensure people are fully immunized against the deadly virus.
He revealed that over fifty people have been deployed in the NBR East to help vaccinate people between the ages of 12 and above.
“We go house to house, schools, and public gatherings to sensitive people and get them vaccinated. Without vaccinations we cannot eradicate the coronavirus,” he noted.
Mr. Colley told journalists that round tenth has marked a significant improvement in their drive to get at least 70% of the population vaccinated.
“Nearly fifty thousand people plus out of one hundred and thirty-two thousand seven hundred and forty-eight (132,748) of the total population in North Bank East have taken the vaccines. Now we are very close to getting half of the population in NBR East vaccinated,” Colley revealed.
The Pfizer vaccine is administered for children between the ages of 12 and above according to health officials which is said to be effective and have fewer complications for children while other foxes like Johnson &. Johnson and Sinopharm are given to the elderly.
