Frustrations Grow As Only 14% Purchased Vaccines Arrive

Delivery: A consignment of COVID-19 vaccines arrives at SSKA. PIC PHATSIMO KAPENG
Delivery: A consignment of COVID-19 vaccines arrives at SSKA. PIC PHATSIMO KAPENG

Government has thus far spent $19.2 million (nearly P200 million) to purchase more than two million COVID-19 doses from various producers, but only 14% have been delivered, frustrating the vaccination rollout, The Monitor has learnt.

By July 26, the latest available figures indicate only 124,425 people were fully vaccinated in the country, while an online database, Our World in Data, estimates that Botswana has one of the highest infection rates at about 548 cases per million people.

Of the two million vaccines ordered and paid for, just 282,890 doses have been delivered thus far, with manufacturers frequently pushing back delivery dates due to the global scramble for vaccines, health authorities said this week.


Editor's Comment
Routine child vaccination imperative

The recent Vaccination Day in Motokwe, orchestrated through collaborative efforts between UNICEF, USAID, BRCS, and the Ministry of Health, underscores a commendable stride towards fortifying child health services.The painful reality as reflected by the Ministry of Health's data regarding the decline in routine immunisation coverage since the onset of the pandemic, is a cause for concern.It underscores the urgent need to address the...

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