Government working on training more COVID-19 vaccination personnel

* To ensure that more vaccination sites become operational to increase access in the districts

* The delivery platform remains the government and CHAM health facilities

* The public to contact their local health authorities for specific vaccination schedules for their areas

* There were 528 new COVID-19 recoveries in the past 24 hours of 21 were new with three new deaths

By Duncan Mlanjira

The presidential task force on COVID-19 says the government is continuously working on training more vaccination personnel in the districts to increase access to the COVID-19 AstraZeneca vaccine.

In her situation report for Sunday, co-chairperson of the taskforce, Health Minister Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda urged the public to contact their local/district health authorities for specific vaccination schedules for their areas as more sites are being opened from Monday.

She added that the delivery platform remains government and CHAM health facilities and asked people to bring their National IDs while those with underlying medical conditions should also bring their health passport book.

“As communicated on Thursday that, apart from continuing vaccinating the healthcare workers and other social workers, we rolled out vaccinating those with underlying conditions (such as diabetes, asthma, hypertension) and those aged 60 years and above,” she said.

Others are social workers such as teachers,  journalists, people in different government departments, banks, truck drivers, chiefs, religious leaders, Councilors, MPs and other influential leaders.

The Minister reminds the public that the COVID-19 vaccine is free of charge and that it is voluntary and is being distributed to all corners of the country to allow for equitable access.

“Let us all wait for our turn. It is important to give chance to those most at risk first,” said the Minister.

Cumulatively, 24,550 people have been vaccinated in the country with 643 being vaccinated in the past 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the situation report indicates that the past 24 hours has registered 21 new COVID-19 cases, 528 new recoveries and three new deaths — two from Kasungu and one from Ntcheu.

All new cases are locally transmitted — nine from Blantyre, five from Lilongwe, three from Mchinji, two from Dowa and one each from Karonga and Mangochi.

The total number of active cases is 3,371 of which 36 are hospitalised — 10 in Blantyre, seven in Lilongwe, four in Thyolo, three each in Zomba and Mchinji, two each in Mzimba North and Phalombe, and one each in Nkhata Bay, Mangochi, Balaka, Salima, and Chiradzulu

In total, the country has recorded 28,636 recoveries at a  recovery rate of 86.2% while 134 were lost to follow-up. The positive cases out of the total translates to a positivity rate of 5.6%.

Cumulatively, Malawi has recorded 33,237 cases including 1,096 deaths at a case fatality rate of 3.30%.

The Health Minister further reminds and emphasizes that the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe as it has less or fewer side effects and most of them are minor and self-limiting.

“These [side effects] include pain or soreness on the injection site, fever, headache, muscle or joint pain, fatigue or nausea. These will usually go away without any need of hospital treatment.

“As with any other vaccines, those that are receiving the vaccine are informed on the possible side effects of the vaccine including those that may be required to be immediately reported to the health facilities.

“Those that have or will be receiving the vaccine are encouraged to report to nearest health facility any adverse effects following immunization or call toll free number 929.

“No one is safe until everyone else is safe — protect yourself; protect your loved ones; protect everyone,” the Minister said.