Covid Vaccine Doses Administered in Ethiopia Nears 10mln
ADDIS ABABA – Nearly 10 million doses of Covid have been administered in Ethiopia as health officials step the nationwide vaccine drive, data from the ministry of health shows.
Ethiopia’s vaccine drive was rolled out on March 13 with the healthcare workers and older people getting inoculated in the first phase.
Since then, over 7.3 people of them have been fully vaccinated against the virus while a total of 9.767, 645 dose were given nationwide, according to today’s Covid report.
In the past twenty-four alone, a total of 211, 738 doses have been offered to the public nationwide, the report indicates.
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The nationwide immunization drive, which involves a range of vaccines including J&J, AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Sinopharm, is stepping up since mid-November, during health officials offering over 4.5mln doses.
The increase in vaccine drive has coincided with detection of a new heavily mutated Omicron variant which scientists say is of “great concern” in Africa.
Health officials on Wednesday said the variant has not been detected in Ethiopia although it’s confirmed in at least 24 countries around the world.
Health Minister Dr. Lia Tadesse said it remains to be a concern especially now that the rate of new infection is expected to spike in many countries Africa that is observing the beginning of a fourth wave.
In addition to observing the Covid protocol put in place, Dr. Lia advised the public to take the vaccine “as soon as possible” to keep themselves safe from the deadly disease and any variants of the virus.
Getting the vaccine is effective at helping protect against severe disease and death from the virus that causes Covid, according to the minister.
More new cases
Ethiopia’s confirmed case tally has currently stands at 271, 672 after the ministry reported 136 new infections on Thursday.
A total of 5,616 people were tested in the last twenty-four hours to identify the latest positive cases, according to the Ministry’s report.
In the same period, sixteen more Covid-related deaths and 87 recoveries have also been registered, pushing the death toll to 6, 771 and recoveries count to 349, 124.
Ethiopia now has 234 severely sick Covid-19 patients receiving medical treatments nationwide, the report says.
These patients are among 12, 775 confirmed active cases in the nation which confirmed its first Coronavirus infections in March 2020.
