An additional 151,200 doses of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine arrived in The Gambia on August 1, the second tranche of vaccines donated by the American people. The United States has donated a total of 302,400 vaccine doses to The Gambia in order to protect the Gambian people from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a press release Sunday, the US Embassy said: “This vaccine is safe. This Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine underwent rigorous testing in the United States. This single-dose vaccine is currently being administered in the United States – millions of Americans have received these very same vaccines – and in dozens of other countries. It is certified by the WHO for global use, and has been approved by the Gambia Medicines Control Agency.
“And this vaccine works. In clinical trials, the vaccine proved effective in preventing hospitalization and death from COVID-19. No one in the trial who was infected with COVID-19 at least four weeks after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine had to be hospitalized.
“We are proud to be partnering with the Gambian Ministry of Health to support their vaccination campaign. Johnson & Johnson vaccines donated by the United States are currently being distributed at public health facilities and through approved private healthcare practitioners across The Gambia – free of charge. We urge all Gambians over the age of 18 to receive the vaccine as soon as they can.
“This donation would not have been possible without the work of our tremendous partners – the Office of The President, the Ministry of Health, the African Union, Gavi/COVAX, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, and the European Union. We will continue to share as many safe and effective vaccines with as many people around the world as fast as possible until COVID-19 is defeated.”
