The Government Communication and Information System hosted a webinar on Wednesday with Minister of Tourism Mmamoloko Kubayi, Dr John Nkengasong from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Mboneni Muofhe from the Department of Science and Innovation and Dr Richard Mihigo from the World Health Organisation .
Nkengasong said it was important to get the messaging around vaccines right because there is a lot of scepticism, misinformation and misunderstanding about what vaccines can do. If by 2022 Africa has not vaccinated at least 60% of the population, this would have a severe impact on the continent’s economy.
He said it was impossible to implement an effective vaccination process unless you know what kind of variant you’re dealing with. He said that this week the WHO had crossed a notable milestone in ensuring equitable access to the Covid-19 vaccine, with Ghana and Ivory Coast being the first countries in Africa to begin vaccination using the AstraZeneca vaccine procured through the Covax facility.