Times Of Swaziland: ELDERLY VACCINATION RESUMES TODAY

ELDERLY VACCINATION RESUMES TODAY
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BY PHUMELELE MKHONTA on 08/04/2021 08:04:00


MBABANE - The suspension of the elderly COVID-19 vaccination exercise has been
lifted.
Two days after the COVID-19 vaccination exercise for the elderly was put on
hold, the Minister of Health, Senator Lizzie Nkosi, has announced that it will
resume today. She announced this yesterday in a COVID-19 vaccination
announcement press statement. “The Ministry of Health is announcing that the
vaccination programme for the elderly and bagcugcuteli (health motivators) will
be at Lobamba Clinic, National Church, Maliyaduma KaNdvuna and Kukhanyeni
Inkhundla.
Continue
“The ministry will continue announcing the COVID-19 vaccination centres daily.
The starting time for the vaccination exercise in the listed centres is 7am,”
said the minister. Nkosi said people should register for vaccination on
www.eswatinihealth.org. On Tuesday night, the ministry, through the Eswatini
Government pages on social media, announced the vaccination exercise of the
elderly had been suspended. “The Ministry of Health notifies the nation that
the elderly vaccination exercise is currently in abeyance as inoculation of more
healthcare workers, including bagcugcuteli, continues. The public will be
updated of the next elderly vaccination schedule,” she said. The vaccination
of the elderly began last Wednesday and since the exercise started, there have
been concerns on the large numbers of the elderly who cram the tinkhundla
centres without practising social distancing, making them (tinkhundla) potential
superspreaders.
Also, concerns have been raised by the elderly that they would return home
without them being inoculated in some vaccination sites due to the late start of
the exercise. Others complained about having to endure long hours in queues
before being eventually vaccinated. The minister also said the ministry was
pleased to update the nation on the good progress made in the COVID-19
vaccination rollout in the country.  “The vaccination rollout, as outlined in
the National COVID-19 Vaccination Deployment Plan (NVDP), started with
healthcare workers for a period of one week, after which the elderly and those
with comorbidities followed in the ensuing week.
“Currently, the vaccination of healthcare workers is running concurrently with
that of the elderly and those with comorbidities (Phase 1A and B) of the
NVDP,” she said.