Cameroon’s capacity to inoculate more of its citizens has been boosted thanks to a consignment of 158 400 doses of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine supplied by the African Vaccine Acquisition Trust (AVAT) initiative in favour of AU Member States.
The consignment was received last Sunday August 08 at the Yaounde Nsimalen International Airport by the representatives of the Africa Centre for Diseases Control, the Chargé affair at the US Embassy to Cameroon and the Secretary General in the Ministry of Public Health.
The 158 400 doses of the Johnson & Johnson single-shot COVID-19 vaccine is the first consignment out of a stock of 400 million doses acquired thanks to African Vaccine Acquisition Trust initiative, AVAT in collaboration with partners including the World Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
The AVAT initiative was agreed upon in March 2021 by AU Member States to pool their purchasing power and get 220 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson single-shot COVID-19 vaccine, with the potential to order an additional 180 million doses to inoculate Africans.
“This is a momentous step forward in Africa’s efforts to safeguard the health and well-being of its people. By working together and by pooling resources, African countries have been able to secure millions of vaccine doses produced right here in Africa. This will provide impetus to the fight against COVID-19 across the continent and will lay the basis for Africa’s social and economic recovery.” Said Cyril Ramaphosa, President of the Republic of South Africa and African Union (AU) while announcing the shipment of the first consignment to Member States last week.
The press release issued to this occasion reads that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was selected for this first pooled procurement for three reasons: first as a single-shot vaccine, it is easier and cheaper to administer; second, the vaccine has a long shelf-life and favourable storage conditions. Last but not least, the vaccine is partly manufactured on the African continent, with fill-finish activities taking place in South Africa.
It adds that the agreement with Johnson & Johnson was made possible through a USD 2 billion facility provided by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), who are also the Financial and Transaction Advisers, Guarantors, Instalment Payment facility providers and Payment Agents.
The 158 400 doses of the COVID-19 Johnson & Johnson vaccine comes to add to the over 300,000 recently received as gift from the United States of America through the COVAX initiative.
Reports from some few vaccination centres in the centre say the vaccine is in high demand due to its single-shot nature.
JDC TV, Video news 
