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Mozambique launches mass vaccination against Covid-19

Friday August 06 2021
Covid-19 vaccine.

About 400,000 people in Mozambique have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, President Filipe Nyusi says. PHOTO | FILE | NMG

By ARNALDO VIEIRA

The Mozambican government Wednesday launched the National Mass Vaccination Campaign against Covid-19 which aims at inoculate 17 million people.

People aged 50 years and over, employees and agents of the State, drivers and collectors of passenger transport are expected to be covered during the campaign.

Mozambique is hit by the negative impact of the third wave, with more than 20 deaths a day.

As at Wednesday, Mozambique had recorded 126,391 Covid-19 cases, 96,446 recoveries, 1,500 deaths and had 28,441 active cases.

Since the start of the vaccination against the pandemic the southern African country has inoculated about 2.4 percent of its target population.

“So far, in Mozambique, around 400,000 people have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19, which corresponds to 2.4% of the target population. It's too little," President Filipe Nyusi said at the launch of the campaign in Maputo.

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“The vaccine stimulates the production of our defence and antibodies. In countries where the vaccination plan is more advanced, it is proven that the vaccine saves lives, because it protects against serious disease, reduces the risk of death, increases immunity in the person and reduces the spread in the community.”

Last week, Mozambique received over 1.8 million vaccines, and more doses under the Covax initiative are expected to reach the country, according to the World Health Organization.

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