By Thandie Chadzandiyani
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-There has been a development that has compelled Ministry of Health to scale up the vaccine administration as 40 000 doses of the Oxford/ AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine will expire next Tuesday.
Ministry of Health spokesperson Joshua Malango said the expiring doses are part of the 102 000 doses which government received from the African Union (AU).
Malango told The Nation Newspaper that ministry has since increased Covid-19 vaccination centres to reach out to many Malawians and ensure that the 40 000 doses are used before expiry.
“We are hopeful that we will finish the remaining doses because we have now scaled up our team to conduct the vaccination in various” Malango said.
In between March 31 and 25, the highest number since President Lazarus Chakwera launched the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine administration on March 11 2021 in Zomba.
In the week between March 18 and 24, 39 220 people got the jab, while the week between March 11 and 17 only 5 41 people were vaccinated a only senior government officials and frontline health workers were prioritised.
Reads the update in part “During week 13, a total of 48 817 vaccines were administered, bringing the total vaccines administered to 160 445 since the official launch of vaccination on 11 March 2021.
The country has receive a total of 512 000 doses of the vaccine
As we are in Phase Three.” He said of the current stock of vaccine available in Malawi, those with the longest lifespan will expire in July this year.
“A third of the total centres. Some are even going to working places and places of worship for vaccination. The vaccine is also open to everyone now”
Ministry of Health’s Public Health Institute of Malawi Covid-19 reports indicate that in the week between April 1 and 7, 31 631 people were vaccinated while 79 652 got vaccinated.
