Sirennet Blog

Senegal launches vaccination campaign with China’s Sinopharm

By YESI FISCH for the Associated Press

DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Senegal launched its COVID-19 vaccination campaign Tuesday in the capital, Dakar, where the Health Minister received the first jab of the Sinopharm vaccine.

“This day is a historic day” said Abdoulaye Diouf Sarr, Senegal’s Health Minister after getting the injection.

A health worker administers a dose of China’s Sinopharm vaccine to a man during the start of the vaccination campaign against the COVID-19 at the Health Ministry in Dakar, Senegal, Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021. The country is also expecting nearly 1.3 million vaccine doses through the COVAX initiative. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

The West African nation received 200,000 doses of China’s Sinopharm vaccine last week and now the vaccines are being given to health care workers, people over 60 years old, and those with comorbidities.

The health minister also announced that Senegal is negotiating with Russia to buy the Sputnik V vaccine. In March, the country is also expecting to get nearly 1.3 million vaccine doses through the World Health Organization’s COVAX initiative.

As a gesture of “solidarity,” the minister said Senegal will share 10% of the 200,000 Sinopharm doses with neighboring countries Gambia and Guinea Bissau.

“Senegal is one of seven countries -among the 54 countries of the African continent- to start the vaccination against COVID-19, the minister said.

As of Tuesday, Senegal, a country of 16 million, has registered more than 33,000 cases of COVID-19 and 814 deaths, according to the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.