High demand for vaccines puts Africa on the back burner

Covid-19 vaccine.

East African countries are poised to get nearly 40 million Covid-19 vaccine doses though the AU initiative. PHOTO | FILE | NMG

As the AU announced this past week that it had secured 270 million doses of Covid vaccines, East Africans will have to wait a bit longer to access the required quantities.

While the announcement provides relief as countries may soon access the much-needed vaccines for frontline workers, the elderly and people with chronic ailments, the available doses are not enough to contain the pandemic as scientists recommend at least 60 per cent vaccination of the population.