Tanzania targets daily COVID-19 vaccinations of up to 100,000 people

Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania | Xinhua |  Tanzanian authorities said on Saturday that between 80,000 and 100,000 people will be vaccinated daily against COVID-19 during the second phase of the inoculation campaign.

A statement by the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children said the permanent secretary in the ministry, Abel Makubi, revealed the acceleration of the vaccination in a meeting with regional medical officers and COVID-19 vaccination coordinators in the capital Dodoma.

Makubi said the second phase of the vaccination campaign will mainly focus on rural communities.

He said the new campaign will go in tandem with raising awareness at community levels on precaution measures issued by health authorities against the pandemic.

At least one million Tanzanians have been vaccinated between July 28 when President Samia Suluhu Hassan launched the campaign and October 31.

China has donated 1,565,600 Sinopharm vaccine doses to Tanzania to support the east African nation’s drive to vaccinate its people against the virus. Tanzania intends to vaccinate at least 60 percent of its 60 million population.