Covid-19 vaccine dose being administered. Malawi has stopped Covid-19 vaccinations after it ran out of the drugs. File photo: Ian Landsberg/African News Agency (ANA).
MALAWI has halted Covid-19 vaccinations after running out of the drugs, but expects a new consignment in July, Health Minister Khumbize Kandodo Chiponda said this week.
"The COVID-19 vaccine doses that we had received have been exhausted hence the vaccination exercise has been paused until another consignment of the vaccine arrives in the country in July,“ she said during a Covid-19 situational update on Tuesday.
"For those that were due for the second dose and did not manage to get it, there is no need to worry as the vaccine is still effective when the second dose is given after 12 weeks."
Chiponda urged Malawians to adhere to other Covid-19 preventative measures such as wearing masks properly, washing hands and observing physical distancing to reduce the risk of getting the virus or spreading it to others.
Online news outlet Malawi24 reported that the country had expected to receive 900,000 doses of vaccines in May but the main manufacturer and a supplier in India had pushed delivery to July.
Malawi started its vaccination programme in March after receiving about 510,000 doses. Over 16,000 expired drugs were destroyed in April.
In neighbouring Namibia, the health ministry temporarily suspended Covid-19 vaccination in the Omusati region on Tuesday, saying the remaining doses should be reserved as second doses for those who had already had their first jab, local newspaper Informate reported.
It said there had been a delay in the delivery of already procured Covid-19 vaccines, leaving regional stocks nearly depleted.
The administration of first doses will resume when new stocks arrive.