Only 1% of Africa population vaccinated against Covid-19

Only 1.1 per cent of the African population has received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

Globally, 14.5 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated. At least 37 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines are administered globally daily. This is according to the African Union and the World Health Organization.

As of July 30, 4.11 billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines had been administered globally, or 53 doses for every 100 people. This indicates that 28.2 per cent of the global population have received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine.

With the existing global supply chain challenges, most countries, including Kenya, have decided to administer vaccines to priority groups, among them healthcare workers and vulnerable populations such as people aged above 58 years.

By July 31, Kenya had received 2.1 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine after an additional 410,000 doses arrived in the country on Saturday.

Data shows that Kenya, just like other African countries, is struggling to vaccinate its population, with just 2.45 per cent of the adult population fully vaccinated. This means that out of every 100 people, only three are vaccinated.

Of serious concern to the Africa CDC is that there are countries such as Burundi and Eritrea that have yet to receive a single vaccine.

“If we stand together, it is possible to beat this virus. Time is not on our side. The right thing to do is to distribute vaccines to the people and quickly,” Africa Task Force for Coronavirus member Prof Salim Karim said.

In Botswana, 14 out of every 100 people have been vaccinated, 12 in every 100 in South Africa, three in every 100 in Uganda, two in every 100 in Somalia, Ethiopia, Mozambique Sudan and one in every 100 in South Sudan and DRC.

Last week, Tanzania received the first consignment of more than one million doses of Johnson and Johnson for their planned mass rollout.

Developed countries have been accused of vaccine nationalism, something experts warn is dangerous with the current virus mutations. 

According to Africa CDC, seven African countries have exhausted all their vaccines, while those with few doses remaining are faced with a shortage for the second dose.  

“There is a mistaken belief by some countries that they can vaccinate their populations and they will be safe. In this world that we live in, with this coronavirus, no one is safe until everyone is safe,” Karim said at a past virtual meeting.

"There's no endgame that sees one country succeeding in controlling the virus while the rest of the world is dealing with rampant spread,” he added.

Data shows that Canada has vaccinated at least 71 per cent of her population, with 59 per cent fully vaccinated and 12.5 per cent partially vaccinated.

The UK has vaccinated 68.9 per cent of the population, with 56 per cent fully vaccinated.

Spain has vaccinated 68.1 per cent, with 57 per cent fully vaccinated.

Italy has vaccinated 63.5 per cent of the population, 52 per cent fully vaccinated, while the US has vaccinated 57 per cent of her population, 49.1 fully.

Although children have not been affected by Covid-19 as much as adults have, some countries like the US are planning to roll out vaccination among children aged at least 12 years before the end of the year.

"The hoarding of Covid-19 vaccine by the developed world has posed significant threats in Africa, where new variants have been reported and could worsen community-based infections," said Alice Kayongo, the regional policy and advocacy manager at AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

Hoarding of vaccine stockpiles by wealthy nations has created a supply crunch on the continent.

Health CS Mutahi Kagwe, while speaking at the Annual Commonwealth health ministers meeting on May 21, decried the issue of vaccine nationalism as a hindrance to the fight against the pandemic.

Edited by A.N