441 UNDER-18 CHILDREN GET COVID-19 VACCINE IN COPPERBELT PROVINCE

Copperbelt province Permanent Secretary, Augustine Kasongo, has disclosed that more than 400 persons under the age of 18 in the region have been vaccinated against Covid-19.

Mr. Kasongo however said the number of children between the age of 12 and 18 years that have received their vaccination is still low because they need consent from their parents.

ZANIS reports that Mr. Kasongo said about 441 children have been vaccinated in the province.

He has since urged parents to allow their children to get vaccinated against Covid-19 as schools reopen in the next two weeks.

“We have 441 children that have been vaccinated. The number for children is lower because they need the consent of their parents and we are optimistic that the numbers will go up because of the sensitization programmes that we have embarked on,” he said.

Mr. Kasongo said out of the total target of 1.3 million people in the province, 50 percent of them have since been vaccinated.

He said about 268, 251, inclusive of children are fully vaccinated and 412,000 people have taken partial vaccination waiting for their second doses.

He observed that the Covid-19 vaccination is one of the pillars that would help the province to tackle the pandemic, adding that vaccination programmes have been very helpful in the past.

Mr. Kasongo has since reminded the people in the province that Cocvid-19 is still rife hence the need for them to get vaccinated and ensure that they observe all the guidelines that have been provided by the Ministry of Health.

“We must not relax and parents should allow their children to get vaccinated,” he said.

Mr. Kasongo has further cautioned people to take the Covid-19 pandemic seriously saying the province is still recording high numbers of infections, with Kitwe topping the list.
ZANIS