Sierra Leonean President begins Covid-19 vaccination campaign with his own shot

Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio joined other world leaders on Monday in being publicly vaccinated against Covid-19, and urged all citizens to follow his example and receive beatings.

“I will take leadership by receiving the vaccine,” Bio said. “You should all try to get vaccinated as the vaccines become available to everyone,” he added, describing the start of the Covid vaccination campaign as an important step.

Sierra Leone received a donation of 200,000 doses of the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine at the end of February. The country’s first batch of 96,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine, supplied through the COVAX facility, arrived in the West African country on March 8.

The country will receive a total of 528,000 doses by the end of May 2021 through COVAX, as part of efforts to cover 20% of Sierra Leone’s population by the end of the year.

Even with 296,000 doses already delivered, Sierra Leonean Minister of Health Austin Demby said the first phase would only cover 150,000 people, as two doses have to be administered.

Health officials have prioritized politicians, frontline health workers, security personnel and people over 70.

The AstraZeneca vaccine was reserved for people over the age of 60 with underlying pathologies, and the Sinopharm for people between the ages of 18 and 60.

Head nurse Mary Fullah administered the vaccine to President Bio, followed closely by Vice President Juldeh Jalloh.

The vaccinated people were registered biometrically and the Minister of Health explained that the Covid ID could be used for international purposes.

The country recorded a confirmed case of Covid-19 on Monday, with a total of 3,958 cases and 79 deaths since the presence of the coronavirus in Sierra Leone was first confirmed on March 31, 2020.