Gabon receives 100,620 Doses of Pfizer Vaccines Shipped through COVAX Mechanism

Gabon receives 100,620 doses of Pfizer vaccines donated by the USA on 23 September 2021. This first delivery of vaccines through the COVAX initiative, indicates a significant step for Gabon, henceforth among the 47 African countries to have benefited from this initiative and whose objective is to vaccinate 50% of the population eligible to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before the end of year 2021. Dr. Guy Patrick OBIANG symbolically receiving the vaccines from Mr. Christopher Tremann, Chargé d’Affaires a.i of the United States Embassy in Gabon, in presence of Dr. Magaran Monzon Bagayoko, WHO Representative in Gabon (far left) and Pr. Roman Tchoua, COPIL Technical Coordinator (far right). The ceremony took place at the Libreville International Airport’s Tarmac, in presence of Dr. Guy Patrick Obiang Ndong, Gabonese Minister of Health, Dr. Magaran Monzon Bakayoko, WHO Representative, Mr. Donatien Tameko, UNICEF Deputy-representative, Mr. Christopher Tremann, Chargé d’Affaires a.i of the United States Embassy in Gabon, COPIL-Coronavirus Technical Coordinator, Pr. Romain Tchoua, the President of the National COVID-19 Vaccination Committee in Gabon (COPIVAC), Pr. Marielle Bouyou Akotet , as well as many actors of the response. ‘I would like to express here all my gratitude to the partners of the COVAX initiative i.e., GAVI, UNICEF and WHO for the huge support showed for the logistics, which facilitated the arrival of vaccines in Gabon’ declared Mr. Christopher Tremann.

‘We are glad to collaborate with the Gabonese government, the private sector and the civil society in trying our best to mitigate the impact of the pandemic’ he added. Dr. Bagayoko, speaking on behalf of the partners of the COVAX initiative, stated that: ‘this donation shows a coordinated effort at the global level to ensure a fair distribution of safe vaccines against COVID-19. It will undoubtedly contribute to strengthen the Gabonese government’s efforts with regards to vaccination, a warranty of success against COVID-19.’

‘We are all the more satisfied to be amongst the first countries in Africa to receive Pfizer vaccines donation. The arrival of the Pfizer vaccine makes possible today to improve vaccination coverage and provide many options to the population’ Dr. Patrick Obiang Ndong, Gabonese Minster of Health announced.

The vaccination campaign in Gabon started on 23 March 2021 and was pivoted on the Sinopharm vaccine. On 18 September 2021, 100,884 people out of 1,138,000 target population eligible for the vaccination thoroughly received the first shot of the vaccine, that is 9.93%, with more men vaccinated (79%) compared to women (21%). As the country is facing the third wave of COVID-19 infection, the arrival of the Pfizer vaccine freely allocated to Gabon by the American government through COVAX initiative, reinforces the vaccination strategy of the Gabonese government.

Since the report of the index case in Gabon, WHO country office in Gabon continued with and intensified efforts to strengthen infrastructural, technical and logistical capacities. An emergency rescue team made up of 60 national and international experts, work in close collaboration with the Steering Committee for the Monitoring and Control Plan against Coronavirus Pandemic in Gabon (COPIL) and the National Vaccination Committee, for an optimal response.

About COVAX Mechanism. It is, the vaccines pillar of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, is co-convened by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the Vaccine Alliance Gavi and the World Health Organisation (WHO)-working in partnership with developed and developing country vaccine manufacturers, UNICEF, the World Bank and others. It is the only global initiative that is working with governments and manufacturers to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are available worldwide to both higher income and lower income countries.