DRC President Tshisekedi receives Covid-19 jab, urges residents to get vaccinated
Tuesday September 14 2021
President Tshisekedi receives his Covid-19 vaccine. PHOTO | COURTESY
The Democratic Republic of Congo's President Félix Tshisekedi on Monday received his first dose of vaccine against Covid-19.
This comes at a time when efforts to encourage the public to get vaccinated are being intensified.
Although the Presidency did not specify the brand of vaccine President Tshisekedi had received, it announced that the country has rolled out Moderna and AstraZeneca jabs.
The Head of State, who was accompanied by First Lady Denise Nyakeru, said, "the vaccine remains the best available solution for combating Covid-19 at the moment. Having lost several relatives to the disease, I am in a better position to testify about the devastating impact of the pandemic."
President Tshisekedi said residents should make every effort to get vaccinated.
While the campaign efforts to push for vaccination of more people continue, many Congolese express their reservations, some saying that they do not believe Covid-19 exists or that it could harm them.
The president was vaccinated during the launch of the second phase of Covid vaccination in the country.
The Ministry of Health has indicated that the spread of Covid-19 has slowed down in the capital Kinshasa, which was earlier considered the epicentre of the disease in DR Congo.
Since the first case was announced, a total of 1,061 people have been confirmed to have died of Covid-19-related complications.
Meanwhile, Public Health Minister Jean-Jacques Mbungani announced that the country would receive Johnson and Johnson and Pfizer vaccines.