The Covid-19 vaccination campaign was officially launched on Tuesday. A launch in front of the press because the stake is to gain the confidence of the Senegalese people. In front of journalists, about twenty personalities received the first doses of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine.
Under an overwhelming sun and in front of the press, the Minister of Health and Social Action, Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr, received Senegal’s first dose of vaccine. It was a dose of Chinese Sinopharm. He was the first in order to set an example and reassure people about the reliability of the vaccine at a time when part of the population is still reluctant to be vaccinated.
Other political, religious and civil society leaders followed, including Foreign Minister Aïssata Tall Sall, former Prime Minister Souleymane Ndéné Ndiaye, and Professor Moussa Seydi, known to be at the forefront of the response to Covid-19.
The Minister of Health called the day “historic” as Senegal is one of the few African countries to have launched their vaccination operation. A start thanks to the acquisition of vaccines through a national strategy specific to Senegal, which has decided not to wait for the vaccine from the Covax initiative, which should arrive around March, according to the minister.
As part of this strategy, the country has purchased 200,000 doses of Sinopharm, distributed in Senegal’s fourteen regions, all equipped with refrigerators. A rather small quantity but discussions are being finalized with Russia, reassures the ministry. The objective is therefore to vaccinate all Senegalese over 60 years of age with co-morbidities or chronic diseases, as well as health personnel.
The operations will begin tomorrow in the vaccination centers as the doses have been sent throughout the country in recent days.
Now it is a matter of encouraging the Senegalese people to go to the health facilities. Because the populations are still very reticent, between refusal, fear and lack of confidence. They can already register on the new website put online by the Ministry of Health, which allows to identify people who want to be vaccinated.