By XINHUA The first batch of COVID-19 vaccines from Chinese pharmaceutical firm Sinovac arrived in Namibia on Tuesday afternoon, which will help the African country’s immunization campaign against the pandemic. Receiving the vaccines at the Hosea Kutako International Airport, Namibian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said the vaccines’ arrival…
By Grace Kuria Pregnant women vaccinated against COVID-19 could pass on protection to their babies, according to a new study. Research conducted in Israel in February showed antibodies were detected in all 20 women who were given both doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine during their third trimester of pregnancy and in their newborns, through placental transfer….
By XINHUA Rwanda will continue administering the AstraZeneca vaccines as the reported side effects have not been confirmed, the country’s Health Minister Daniel Ngamije said Tuesday. Some European countries have suspended use of the AstraZeneca vaccine following reports of blood clots in some recipients. The World Health Organization (WHO) is conducting safety review of the vaccine….
By CGTN Africa Uganda is expected to launch locally developed rapid kits for COVID-19 screening.According to Dr. Misaki Wayengera, the lead developer, staff and students at Makerere University will be among the first to receive the rapid antibody test kits. The kits arrive on campus today, March 17. Dr. Wayengera, a researcher at the Department of…
By Jerry Omondi Zimbabwe on Tuesday received a second shipment of Sinopharm vaccines to help it continue its mass COVID-19 vaccination drive. The Air Zimbabwe plane carrying the vaccines touched down at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in the morning hours with 344,000 doses comprising 200,000 donated by China and 144,000 purchased by the Zimbabwean…
By Grace Kuria The Africa Centres for Disease Control (Africa CDC) is reviewing its guidance on the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine after several countries suspended its use amid concerns about blood clots. Speaking with Bloomberg TV on Tuesday, Africa CDC Director John Nkengasong said “The AstraZeneca vaccine was seen to be safe and efficacious and we would need to…
By Grace Kuria World Health Organization (WHO) safety experts on Tuesday meet over the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine whose rollout has been halted in several countries, over blood clot fears. WHO however continues to insist that the vaccine is safe and should be used, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, WHO Chief Scientist said, “We need to continue to closely…
By XINHUA Namibia on Monday said it is going ahead with a plan to procure COVID-19 vaccines through suppliers. The country’s Ministry of Health and Social Services Public Relations Office called on all companies willing to assist in procuring COVID-19 vaccines to submit their bids. The Ministry of Health said the bidding process is being held…
By XINHUA The Yaounde Central Hospital, one of the largest designated hospitals for COVID-19 treatment in Cameroon, received a batch of medical equipment donated by China to fight against the novel coronavirus. The equipment includes ventilators, oxygenerators, electrocardiographs, among others. “This donation comes at the right time. We are all together in the fight against COVID-19,…
By CGTN Africa The number of Kenyans in need of humanitarian aid could increase this year, the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) has warned. In a statement, NDMA said the number of people considered to be in need of immediate humanitarian assistance increased by about 90% overall from 739,000 recorded in August 2020 to 1,425,000 in…
