Angola is expected to receive about five million COVID-19 vaccines in February 2021 and another seven million in April, the health ministry has said.
Silvia Lutucuta, the Minister of Health, in a briefing on Friday said the vaccines from Pfizer will be received in partnership with COVAX.
The Minister in his briefing disclosed that all the conditions for the reception and conservation of the vaccines were already being created.
The Lutucuta added that the vaccination priority would be given to people at risk, such as health professionals, the elderly, patients with diabetes, obesity, cancer, and kidney disease, and people living with HIV/AIDS.
Besides Pfizer’s vaccines, the minister said, the country may also acquire other vaccines that were certified and authorised by competent health agencies.
“As it is a public health issue, the vaccination against COVID-19 will be conducted under the entire responsibility of the Ministry of Health and will be given in the health units previously defined by the national health authorities,” Lutucuta said.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) representative in Angola, Djamila Cabral, said earlier that the COVAX intends to facilitate access to two billion vaccines against COVID-19, to cover 20 per cent of the African population by 2021.
According to the WHO representative, the COVAX’s goal is to ensure that all countries have equal access to vaccines, so they are working at that time to raise the necessary funds to donate the vaccines to the poorest countries.
Angola has so far reported 15,925 positive cases, 362 deaths, and 8,679 recoveries.