Namibia will soon receive an approved COVID-19 vaccine. The country has contributed to the Covax global COVID-19 vaccine distribution scheme co-led by the World Health Organization, and has appointed a team to prepare the necessary infrastructure to store and administer it in the country.
It is not clear yet which vaccine Namibia will receive.
Namibia is preparing facilities to store and distribute a COVID-19 vaccine.
The country does not currently have the facilities required to store the vaccine, as it needs to be kept at sub-zero temperatures. According to The Namibian, Pfizer’s vaccine needs to be kept at -70°C, and Moderna’s vaccine needs to be stored at -20°C.
Government said it will first implement all the requirements to successfully handle the vaccine. A date for the delivery of the vaccines have not been announced.
‘Once these (requirements) become known, the ministry will put them in place. Namibia has been following closely the development of vaccines in the world. The health ministry established a technical team for this purpose,’ Minister of Health and Social Services, Kalumbi Shangula said.
The country has secured an upfront payment of R26.4 million to be made to the Covax scheme for the vaccines.
Upon receiving the vaccines, it aims to vaccinate at least 20% of its population with frontline health workers and people falling within the high-risk age categories to receive it first, according to MoneyWeb.
Currently, Namibia’s borders are open for leisure travel, and international travellers need to present a negative PCR test taken within no more than 72 hours of flying.
If a traveller arrives in Namibia with a test that is more than 72 hours old but less than 7 days old, they will be allowed entry but must go into a week-long supervised quarantine, either at home or at a place of accommodation.
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