#National News

MOH orients stakeholders on Covid-19 Vaccine

Mar 18, 2021, 2:36 PM | Article By: Isatou Ceesay

As the country is set to begin mass vaccination exercise against the deadly Covid-19 virus, officials from the Ministry of Health on Wednesday held a day’s orientation for stakeholders at Action Aid office in Kanifing.

The forum accords officials the opportunity to clear all doubts and misconceptions related with the AstraZeneca vaccines. The targeted groups to receive the Covid-19 jabs are health workers, teachers, and security personnel, those with underlying medical conditions like diabetes and asthma and people above 65 years.

Consequently, the first phase of the vaccination exercise will start from Western 1 and Western 2 (Banjul to Kalaji), as the region with high reported cases of Covid-19 cases.

Addressing the gathering, Buba Darboe, programme manager at the Directorate of Health Promotions and Education at the Ministry of Health, said the Ministry is faced with numerous challenges, as far as administering Covid-19 vaccines is concerned.

He acknowledged that currently there are a lot of misconceptions regarding the AstraZeneca vaccines, with some European countries suspending its administering over fears of side effects such as blood clots.

He, however, assured the populace that the vaccines are safe and effective.

“Stakeholders can only help us to break the barriers by sensitising the people through their various platforms. We target to immunize 60% of the population. We have experts in and out of the country that advised us about how to go about with the vaccines. If there was any health implications, they will never advise us to go ahead with the vaccination exercise.” He explained

Darboe maintained that there are many vaccines but they choose AstraZeneca vaccine because it is fast advanced in the patent, adding that they have technical advice from experts both in the country and abroad that it is ‘safe and effective’.

He thanked the media and stakeholders for always supporting the Ministry in the campaign, thereby educating the public on the misconceptions people have as far as administering of the vaccine.

Read Other Articles In National News
Pa Salieu
Rapper Pa Salieu wins BBC Sound of 2021: 'I am the voice of the voiceless'
Jan 11, 2021, 11:12 AM

Rapper Pa Salieu has won BBC Music's Sound of 2021 - identifying him as Britain's most exciting musical talent thanks to his adventurous, infectious tracks with hard-hitting lyrics about life and death on the "frontline" in Coventry.

NAMS trained
23 NAMs trained on human rights, rule of law
Apr 26, 2021, 11:53 AM

The Association of Non-governmental Organisations (TANGO) recently developed a two-year project dubbed “strengthening human rights and rule of law in The Gambia” with 23 National Assembly members participating in a training.

Gom Sa Bopa
Team Gom Sa Bopa presents gifts to Mile 2 Prison
Feb 12, 2021, 10:56 AM

Gambian rap star and activist, Killa “Ali Cham” Ace through his Team Gom Sa Bopa on Friday visited the Mile II Central Prisons where they donated to inmates and guards at a ceremony held at Mile 2.

Free surgery direct aid
30 Patients undergo free surgery
Jun 22, 2021, 2:58 PM

At least 30 needy patients have recently undergone free medical surgery during a day’s surgery camp organised by Sharab Medical Center in collaboration with Direct Aid Society.