Covid-19 vaccination campaign on track |01 March 2021

Miss Seychelles 2020, Kelly-Mary Anette, was among those in the 18 to 30 year old age group who took her jab last Friday. Just over 50 percent of this target population of around 10,000 remained unvaccinated as of Friday (Photo: Thomas Meriton)

By Laura Pillay

The national immunisation campaign against Covid-19 which officially kick-started on Sunday January 10 as an additional measure against the rapid spread of the virus, is still in progress and well on track, according to programme manager for vaccination Florida Bijoux.

The campaign, which has been ongoing with Sinopharm and later Covishield vaccines directed at different target populations, is set to continue this week after 18 to 30 year olds were last week called to the various distribution centres to be administered with the immunisation jabs.

According to statistics recorded and published by the Ministry of Health, by Friday February 26, 28,966 individuals had been administered with the first dose of the Sinopharm vaccine, of whom 23,518 had also received the second dose, meaning that they have completed the vaccination process. As for Covishield, 22,611 had by Friday received their first dose, with 4459 vaccines first doses administered over Thursday and Friday to the 18 to 30 year old population who responded to the call. Just over 50 percent of this target population of around 10,000 remained unvaccinated as of Friday.

“The campaign is going well so far and we are more or less on track to achieving the set target for the vaccination. The target was 70,000 in four months and while we have completed administering most of the second dosages of Sinopharm, the fact that we pushed the second dose of Covishield forward to March means we have experienced some slight delay, otherwise more people would have been fully vaccinated with both doses. But thus far, around 52,000 persons have received at least the first dose,” Mrs Bijoux explained.

As announced by the ministry, the second dose of Covishield is to be administered as of March, on the basis that a prolonged time period between the two doses renders the vaccine more effective.

Saturday saw yet more people being vaccinated at one of seven distribution centres, namely the Baie St Anne district administration, the Green and Yellow Roof buildings at the Ministry of Health, the Grand Anse Mahé, Beau Vallon and Anse Royale district administrations and ICCS, Victoria.

As has been the case over past weeks, individuals aged 18 and above hailing from specific districts were called to specific distribution centres within stipulated timeframes between the hours of 8am to 5pm, to receive their first doses of the Covishield jab. Statistics from Saturday’s campaign are yet to be published.

“Saturday went well and we saw many people turn up across the different centres. They do not necessarily respect the scheduled timeframes for their district but nonetheless, they are coming, cooperating and getting their vaccines,” Mrs Bijoux explained.

Considering that there was some confusion over the administration and efficacy of vaccines among the general population which led some to miss their appointments for their second dose, the population seems to be generally more aware. Over recent days, many of the around 1500 who missed their appointments have been calling to reschedule, explained Mrs Bijoux, leading the ministry to schedule two days, today and tomorrow for these persons to be administered with the second shot from distribution centres, not including Baie St Anne Praslin, where most of the target population has already been vaccinated.

“From here on, we will have to go back to La Digue to give out the first doses of Covishield because turnout was generally low on La Digue while we were there. We have almost finished with Praslin so there is no need to have the centre there administering second doses to persons who missed their appointment, but they have the two days ahead of them to do so from the different centres on Mahé,” Mrs Bijoux added.

In consideration of the quantity of Covishield vaccines available, the ministry is to announce the vaccination schedule for the rest of the week and coming weeks, as it needs to reserve at least 25,000 of the 50,000 doses to be administered as second doses.

Laura Pillay