Eswatini left out of vaccines’ first 10 list

US DONATION: The ambassador said the US’ decision to collaborate with the AU was motivated mostly by the continent’s impressive reaction to the COVID- 19 pandemic, which she described as consistent.

MBABANE – Eswatini has not been listed among the 10 African countries that will be receiving the US- donated vaccines very soon.

On Thursday, the US Head of Mission to the African Union ( AU) Jessica Lapenn listed five countries that will be getting the vaccine this week and five others that will receive it next week.

She said this during the weekly press conference on the COVID- 19 situation, which was hosted by the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention

( CDC).

IMMUNITY

The US made a donation of 25 million Johnson and Johnson ( J& J) vaccines to 49 African countries after it had reached a milestone in herd immunity coverage.

It also made an additional donation of 500 million Pfizer vaccines to a global vaccine distribution facility.

DELIVERED

Lapenn said the first one- million- doses consignment of the J& J vaccines had been dispatched and delivered to Senegal, Gambia, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso and Djibouti.

“The next consignment will contain 12 million doses and it will be going to Lesotho, Zambia, Cameroon, Niger and the Central African Republic.”

She said there was no determination for now in relation to Africa’s share of the additional Pfizer vaccine.

CATEGORISE

Lapenn said the criteria that was used to categorise and prioritise countries was informed by factors including the country’s epidemic situation, the level of vulnerability, the vaccines that countries already have and the national programmes already in place.

Eswatini is due to get 300 400 vaccine doses from the J& J donation.

IMPRESSIVE

The ambassador said the US’ decision to collaborate with the AU was motivated mostly by the continent’s impressive reaction to the COVID- 19 pandemic, which she described as consistent.

“The US is also supporting vaccine manufacturing in Africa through a loan of E10.5 billion ( US$ 700 million).

“The US made a donation of 25 million Johnson and Johnson ( J& J) vaccines to 49 African countries.’’

( screengrab) Dr John Nkengasong, the Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. ( R) African Union Special Envoy on COVID- 19 Strive Masiwa.

( Coutersy pic) Head of US Mission to the African Union Jessica Lapenn, who made a presentation during a weekly press briefing on COVID19.