DR Congo delays Covid-19 vaccine rollout
DR Congo has received 1.7 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through UN’s shot-sharing mechanism.
Kinshasa
The Democratic Republic of Congo has put off the start of the vaccination campaign against the coronavirus.
The country was scheduled to rollout Covid-19 vaccination campaign on March 15.
This week several European counties suspended use of the coronavirus vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford.
On Friday, DRC National Assembly addressed concerns over the vaccine.
“Who will be responsible in the event of serious post-vaccination side effects? Is it the Congolese government, laboratories, doctors, the Covax initiative or who else?” An MP questioned the Minister of Health Dr Eteni Longondo
British pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca issued a statement and said there was "no evidence of an aggravated risk" of a blood clot caused by its vaccine against Covid-19.
DRC had already received 1.7 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine.
Three groups of people were given priority in the first phase of the roll-out. They include health professionals, social workers, people with comorbidity and people aged over 55.
