Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC) has launched another phase of Covid-19 mass vaccination with more than one million doses expected to be administered in 12 districts outside the City of Kigali within the next 10-days. The mass Covid-19 vaccination campaign – targeting all people aged 18-years and above – was launched in the country’s capital on August 23. Talking about the 12 districts being targeted in the latest vaccination drive, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, Director General of RBC told The New Times that it was based on the changing dynamics of the pandemic, and hence the reason to shift focus to districts with both high incidence and mortality. “Moreover, they are districts on borders,” he indicated. The districts are Kayonza, Gatsibo, Kirehe, Nyagatare, Nyamasheke, Rubavu, Karongi, Rusizi, Rutsiro, Burera, Gicumbi, and Musanze. The excise started on Friday last week, but plans are underway to take the campaign to the remaining districts. During this phase, Nsanzimana said that over 1.36 million people will receive their first dose, while 163,800 people will receive their second dose of the anti-Covid-19 vaccine. He said that three types of vaccines namely Pfizer-BioNTech, AstraZeneca, and Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine will be administered during this phase. Rwanda targets to inoculate 7.8 million people or 60 per cent of her population by June next year in order to achieve herd immunity. Also known as population immunity, herd immunity is the indirect protection from an infectious disease that happens when a population is immune either through vaccination or immunity developed through previous infection, but the former is preferable, according to the World Health Organisation. So far, Nsanzimana said that 2.29 million people have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, while more than 1.69 million have received their full dose. These data imply that at least 21 per cent of the 7.8 million targeted population in Rwanda are fully vaccinated. Specifically, in the City of Kigali, he said that over 872,000 people have gotten their first dose, while over 714,600 received two doses of the vaccine against Covid-19. Last month, the World Health Organisation commended Rwanda’s vaccination efforts, after the country reached the September global target as it had fully vaccinated at least 10 per cent of its population against Covid-19.
