Swaziland top dogs get their coronavirus vaccines ahead of frontline health staff

The Swaziland (eSwatini) Acting Prime Minister, cabinet ministers, the chief of police, and top judiciary have been first to receive coronavirus vaccines although there are only enough doses in the kingdom to fully protect 16,000 people.

The Swazi Government had announced front-line health workers would be first in line to receive jabs. About 32,000 doses recently arrived in the kingdom which is ruled by King Mswati III as an absolute monarch. A person needs two doses to be fully protected.

Announcing what he called the ‘launch of the national COVID19 Vaccine programme’, Acting Prime Minister Themba Masuku said in a speech at the Men’s Wellness Centre, Mbabane, ‘This launch and the vaccination rollout that will follow mark a step up in our fight against COVID-19, underpinned by His Majesty’s Government’s immovable commitment to protecting Emaswati [the people of Swaziland].’

In the past few days the Swazi Government has been publicising on Twitter the vaccination of top politicians and judiciary.

Masuku said, ‘As we have been told by health experts countless times before, these vaccines will save lives. The vaccines will help prevent us from falling seriously ill and in the process, they will greatly lower death rates while also relieving the pressure exerted on our health system.’

Despite the evidence that prominent people were getting priority treatment with the vaccine, the Acting Prime Minister said, ‘As has been said before, the vaccination program will be administered in a phased approach.’ He said Phase 1 Stage A would cover all healthcare workers.

Phase 1 Stage B would cover the elderly and those with pre-existing serious illnesses.

Separately, Director of Health Services at the Ministry of Health Dr Vusi Magagula warned Swaziland could get a third wave of the virus at the end of April / beginning of May 2021. He said this was the time of year when cases of flu usually increased in the kingdom.

The eSwatini Observer reported Dr Magagula stated that once the number of infections recorded daily reached 40 the ministry would take that as a sign of the wave having started to increase.

The number of daily new cases has been fewer than 10 in recent days.

Acting Prime Minister Themba Masuku receives his coronavirus jab, ahead of frontline health workers

 

Richard Rooney

 

See also

Teachers’ leaders fear Swaziland schools not ready to reopen as Govt. eases coronavirus lockdown

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/03/teachers-leaders-fear-swaziland-schools.html

 

Swaziland relaxes coronavirus lockdown amid confusion over vaccines and fear of third wave

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/03/swaziland-relaxes-coronavirus-lockdown.html

 

Swaziland extends coronavirus lockdown and prepares for third wave to strike

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/03/swaziland-extends-coronavirus-lockdown.html

 

Teachers’ leaders fear Swaziland schools not ready to reopen as Govt. eases coronavirus lockdown

The Swaziland National Association of Teachers wants at least 5,000 permanent new teacher posts to be created before schools can reopen safely following the coronavirus crisis.

The Swaziland (eSwatini) Minister of Education and Training Lady Howard Mabuza has ordered schools to reopen on 29 March 2021.

Sikelela Dlamini, SNAT Secretary General, said the Swazi Government must also provide materials, including adequate water supplies and personal protective equipment in all the 933 public schools in the kingdom.

In a statement Dlamini said, ‘The Government must employ at least 5,000 teachers (on a permanent basis) to ensure full compliance regarding the number of learners that each teacher should handle at a particular time (teacher-pupil ratio).

Dlamini said teachers should handle a maximum of 20 pupils in a class.

SNAT is also calling for the urgent vaccination of teachers.

The Education Minister said that not all pupils would attend schools full-time when they reopened.

In a statement, Mabuza said schools had ‘not experienced any effective learning since March 2020’.

She added, ‘Government’s decision to re-open schools is not because the virus has been contained but this is done in consideration of the socioeconomic impact of prolonged school closure. The rate of teenage pregnancy, sexual abuse, child labour and early child marriages has notably increased since the closure of schools.’

She called on schools to develop plans for safe reopening that included ‘the thermo scanning of learners, demarcating floors in classrooms for social distancing, cleaning schedules, monitoring of COVID-19 (coronavirus) guidelines, ensuring hand washing stations are operational and ensuring learners do not mix during breaks.’

Separately, Minister of Education and Training principal secretary Bertram Stewart told a press conference that parents should pay school fees for the past year even though schools had been closed.

The Saturday Observer reported Stewart said, ‘We cannot as government give a directive but the position is that parents have an obligation to pay for their children’s education.’

 

See also

Swaziland relaxes coronavirus lockdown amid confusion over vaccines and fear of third wave

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/03/swaziland-relaxes-coronavirus-lockdown.html

 

Swaziland extends coronavirus lockdown and prepares for third wave to strike

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/03/swaziland-extends-coronavirus-lockdown.html

Swaziland relaxes coronavirus lockdown amid confusion over vaccines and fear of third wave

The Swaziland (eSwatini) Government has announced the reopening of schools and a relaxation of coronavirus restrictions, even though vaccinations have been delayed and there continues to be a threat of a third wave of the virus in the kingdom.

Themba Masuku, the Swazi Acting Prime Minister, on Thursday (18 March 2021) announced the reopening of schools; reopening of religious gatherings; resumption of community gatherings; reopening of low-contact sports and the resumption of the sale of alcohol.

Schools would start to reopen on 29 March, but Masuku did not announce details of how this would happen. But he did say testing, treating and isolation centres had been set up in all regions of the kingdom to be accessed by pupils and teachers.

Religious gatherings can restart on 19 March. Weddings of up to 100 people under coronavirus (COVID-19) protocols would also be allowed from the same date.

In a statement he said, ‘Sporting codes being allowed to resume operations are: angling, athletics, cricket, cue sports, cycling, darts, equestrian, golf, shooting, tennis, teqball, chess, gymnastics, swimming as well as Premier League and National First Division football. The reopening of football also covers the operations of all junior and senior football national teams.’

The sale of alcohol would be allowed from 22 March 2021. Liquor outlets would be allowed to operate from Monday to Thursday between 9am and 5pm. Alcohol consumption remained strictly for home consumption.

Public transport would be allowed at 100 percent seating capacity with no passengers standing with effect from Friday 19 March 2020.

The Swaziland Government had issued mixed messages in recent days about the use of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine. Countries across the world had suspended its use after fears it could cause blood clots.  At first Swaziland said it would continue to use it and then quickly changed its mind and suspended use.

Now, Masuku has changed the decision again. In his statement he said, ‘Let me take the opportunity to inform the nation that government has consulted widely with scientists and health experts who have all spoken with one voice that the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe for use.’

He added, ‘The vaccination exercise is completely voluntary. Health workers will be inoculated in the first phase followed by the elderly, those living with co-morbidities and essential workers. Government continues to source more vaccine candidates such as Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Sputnik V and Mordena to cover all Emaswati above the age of 18.’

The relaxation comes less than two weeks after they were extended amid fears that a third wave was about to hit Swaziland. On 6 March 2021 Masuku had said the 17,000 people testing positive and the 652 deaths in the previous year were ‘nothing short of alarming’.

He added Swaziland expected a third wave of coronavirus (COVID-19) to strike. He called the situation ‘simply unimaginable and heart-breaking’.

 

See also

Swaziland U-turn on use of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/03/swaziland-u-turn-on-use-of-astrazeneca.html

 

Swaziland continues to use AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, despite global health scare 

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/03/swaziland-continues-to-use-astrazeneca.html

 

Swaziland extends coronavirus lockdown and prepares for third wave to strike

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/03/swaziland-extends-coronavirus-lockdown.html

Swaziland U-turn on use of AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine

The Swaziland (eSwatini) Government has done an about turn and decided to halt purchases of the controversial AstraZeneca coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine.

Many counties across the world have suspended use of the vaccine after reports that it could cause blood clots.

The Swazi Government had said it would continue to use AstraZeneca. Now, according to a media report in Swaziland, it will not use the AstraZeneca vaccine for now.

The Times of eSwatini reported, ‘Following the latest findings that the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine was less effective against the South African COVID-19 variant, South Africa stopped the enrolment of the vaccine. 

‘The eSwatini Ministry of Health also decided to halt buying the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine because of the close proximity between eSwatini and South Africa while still doing studies to determine how much of the variant is in local shores.’

Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi said Swaziland was turning to the Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer BioNTech vaccines.

The Times quoted Nkosi saying, ‘The country did not totally depend on the Oxford AstraZeneca.’

World Health Organisation Health Promotion Officer Dr Kevin Makadzange said it also advised the delay of securing the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine until a risk benefit assessment was completed.

‘A country should make tests, to assess the probability of the South African variants against the COVID-19 known strains. If the probability of having the South African variant is low, then they could consider using the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines,’ Dr Makadzange said.

On Wednesday (17 March 2021) the Swazi Government released photographs of Nkosi being vaccinated with the AstraZeneca vaccine.

See also

Swaziland continues to use AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine, despite global health scare 

https://swazimedia.blogspot.com/2021/03/swaziland-continues-to-use-astrazeneca.html