African countries will be receiving COVID-19 vaccines by the second half of 2021, Director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has said.
John Nkengasong told a virtual press conference that “2020 was a tough year, but we believe through collaborative efforts and global solidarity, we can turn the corner on the disease in the African continent in 2021 by availing access to COVID-19 vaccines.”
“African states should be actively prepared to vaccinate a large number of people speedily and reach all corners of the continent, when they eventually receive the COVID-19 vaccines,” he said.
The Africa CDC director called on African countries and the public to continue implementing anti-COVID-19 precautionary measures.
“We appeal at the continent level for the need to exercise discipline, cooperation and political leadership to keep COVID-19 at bay,” Nkengasong said.
Nkengasong also appealed to the international community to help the continent, which is grappling with a second wave of the pandemic, to receive COVID-19 vaccines in a timely manner.
Noting that Africa recorded 154,000 new COVID-19 cases and 3,500 deaths in the last one week, Nkengasong urged continued vigilance against the spread of the disease across the continent.
The African continent reported 2,727,345 COVID-19 cases, with the death toll reaching 64,760 until last Thursday.
MG/abj/APA