Somali president Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo on Tuesday received the first Covid-19 vaccine as the country started COVID-19 roll out.
In a statement, Villa Somalia said president led as an example as the government and partners seek to save many lives by protecting frontline workers, elderly and patients with chronic conditions.
“H.E President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo received Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine injection at State House earlier today,” Villa Somalia said in the post.
Meanwhile, Somali federal government has dispatched 40,000 doses of AstraZeneca to Puntland Puntland state in northeastern Somalia.
Monday, Somalia received 300,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from the international COVAX vaccine initiative.
This is the first batch out of 1.2 million doses Somalia will receive to vaccinate 600,000 frontline workers and members of other vulnerable groups, said the World Health Organization. The WHO facilitates COVAX, designed to obtain and equitably distribute COVID-19 vaccines globally.
Somalia also announced it has made plans to get enough vaccine from COVAX to vaccinate at least 20% of its population.
Fawziya Abikar Nur, Somalia’s health minister urged health workers and others identified as high priority to receive vaccines from this first batch.
The U.N. office in Somalia pledged to help the government reach the most vulnerable groups and frontline workers to help contain the virus.
