IPNEWS-RIA: Liberia’s Foreign Minister, Maxwell Kemayah, is cautioning against conspiracy theory of the COVID-19, vaccine administration in Liberia.
Foreign Minister assured the World Health Organization, members of the COVAX Facility and international partners that the receipt of the COVAX vaccine will in no way make Liberia complacent in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
He stated that the government of Liberia through the Ministry of Health will leave no stone unturned in the adherence to all health protocol and preventive measures.
Foreign Minister Kemayah assured citizens that the vaccine provided to Liberia has been tested, proven to be fate to utilized.
“The government of Liberia has as it prime obligation to ensure that the health of its people is maintained at all times”
” So you can be reassure that the vaccines are safe and you must do away with every conspiracy theory to the contrary. So than, i thank you and thanks to all our partners, that with this partnership we will move from strength to strength.” Foreign Minister Maxwell Kemayah stated.
Turning over the ninety-six thousand COVAX Vaccine to the government of Liberia earlier, World Health Organization, Country Representative to Liberia, Dr. Peter Clements, on behalf of the COVAX Facility, stated that provision of the one Hundred thousand doses of the COVAX Vaccine is an initial commitment by the international Community to ensuring the protection of Liberians from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dr. Clement stated that WHO and the COVAX Facility are glad to partner with Liberia in its fight against the COVID-19 Pandemic.
For his part United States Ambassador to Liberia,H.E. Michael McCarth, stated that Liberia’s successful fight against the COVID-19 fight has now taken a critical lip forward with the arrival of almost 100 thousand COVAX Vaccine to protect Health workers and most vulnerable people throughout the country.
Ambassador McCarth stated that the U.S. government through USAID is pleased to providing support to the Ministry of Health COVID-19 response efforts, especially the deployment of COVAX Vaccine.
He said the next step is most critical to providing the Logistical support, and corrective measures to the public to ensure that the vaccine get to those who need it the most.
“The United States is committed to working with partners around the world including partners in Liberia, to end the devastating public health and economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and U.S. commitment of four million United States dollars to support the COVAX distribution on Liberia, built-on decades of U.S. investment in global health and global health organizations, demonstrates President Joe Bliden commitment to ensuring multi-national partnership on global health issues.”
“We hope that Liberia’s will take the vaccine when given the opportunity. With our commitment to washing hands, wearing mask and keeping social distance, we can joint defeat this deadly COVID-19 Pandemic.” U.S. Ambassador stated.
For her part, Liberia’s Health Minister, Dr. Wilhelmina S.Jallah, lauded the World Health Organization, the United States Government, the COVAX Facility, including other partners for ensuring Liberia is a recipient of the COVAX Vaccine.
Minister Jallah stated that the consignment of COVAX Vaccine is very important to the government of Liberia continued fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
She stated that the government attaches serious importance to the protection of its citizens especially with the arrival COVAX Vaccine.
“We have already begun receiving calls from Liberians willingness to take the COVAX Vaccine. We hope this will be Eco across Liberia.”
“To our healthcare workers, we say thank you for the great job that you’re doing and help is on the way. We want you all to be vaccinated, so that you are protected.” Dr. Jallah averred.
Health Jallah, said already the government has started to receive ninety-six thousands injection needles.
“We have shape boxes to dispose of the needles. So that. as we planned to vaccinate, all Liberians will come out to be vaccinated.” Dr. Jallah stated
The 100, 000 doses of the COVAX vaccines are part of an initial tranche of deliveries of the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine licensed to the Serum Institute of India.
Ghana was the first nation in the West African subregion to receive 600,000 doses of the vaccine. It was followed by La Cote d’Ivoire.
Meanwhile, other African countries will kick-start their COVID-19 vaccination programs by the end of March as efforts to procure doses for the continent’s 1.3 billion people gather pace, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.
Africa faces logistical and financial obstacles to securing all the vaccines it needs, but the WHO-led COVAX facility has begun to bear fruit.
“This week Africa has been at the forefront of COVAX facility deliveries, finally, with almost 10 million vaccine doses being delivered to 11 countries as of this morning,” WHO Africa’s Matshidiso Moeti told a virtual news conference.
“We expect that around half of African countries will receive COVAX deliveries in the coming week and that most countries will have vaccination programs underway by the end of March.”
COVAX, also led by the GAVI vaccines alliance and other partners, plans to send about 1.3 billion doses to 92 lower- and middle-income nations, covering up to 20% of their populations.
As of Thursday, Africa had reported at least 3,955,000 infections and 104,000 deaths. That is still a relatively small toll compared to other continents, with higher national death counts in the United States, India, Brazil, Russia and Britain.
