The Minister of Health Dr Daniel Ngamije has said that Rwanda will effective April 2, kick-off the second phase of the nationwide vaccination against Covid-19 as the country aims to keep the virus at bay.

Ngamije was speaking at a press briefing to among others shed more light on the revised Covid-19 guidelines announced on Monday, March 29.

The Minister was joined by the Minister of Education, Dr Valentine Uwamariya, Minister of Education, the Minister of Local Government, Jean Marie Vianney Gatabazi, as well as Rwanda National Police Spokesperson CP Jean Bosco Kabera.

"Starting on April 2, the second phase of the vaccination program will get underway, with priority to those who received their first doses,” he said.

Referring to the first phase of the inoculation drive, Ngamije noted that over 290,000 citizens had been vaccinated with AstraZeneca vaccine while 51,000 others had received their Pfizer first doses.

Journalists during the press conference

"Recipients of the Pfizer vaccine are mainly from the city unlike those for AstraZeneca. This is because it requires unique storage conditions which are not yet in other parts of the country.”

However, the Minister also decried that following the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines, there has been reluctance among the public, citing a misconception that (one dose of) the vaccine protects them from the virus.

"This is completely false and people should not deceive themselves. The vaccines are meant to help our bodies fight the virus, leave alone the first shot even the second (one) doesn’t assure us of normalcy. The only weapon against this pandemic is through observing the preventative measures.”

Over 800,000 dozes expected

Ngamije said the government has already placed and paid for an order of 500,000 AstraZeneca vaccines.

The Minister was responding to concerns that the Astrazeneca vaccine was in low quantities on the market, which would mean that recipients of the first dose could wait longer than expected.

"We are not worried about the quantity of the AstraZeneca vaccines especially for the people who received their first dose. Apart from the vaccines paid by the government, we are also expecting over 200,000 from the Covax facility.”

Call for heightened vigilance

With the third wave of Covid-19 cases in the region, Ngamije gave a stern warning that there has never been a better time to adhere to the Covid-19 measures.

This, he said, will ensure that the country doesn’t suffer from more Covid-19 restrictions.

"We have countries in the region that have started recording a spike in cases, a similar thing happened to our country in August last year. This should only remind us that this is a collective effort. Everyone should make this their own battle.”

Ngamije shared similar sentiments with Gatabazi who reminded Rwandans to remain vigilant especially now that boarding students are returning back home.

"It is important that all citizens feel part of the journey to ensure that all measures are observed. The country expects to inoculate 30 per cent of the population this year, and all that cannot be achieved without everyone's collaboration.”

Already in Rwanda, nearly 350,000 people from the most exposed groups – frontline workers, people working in security, those with underlying conditions, and people of advanced age among others – have received their first doses and the second ones are on their way.

Since the outbreak of the virus in March 2020, the virus has claimed a total of 305 people out of 21,490 cases recorded in the country.

Dr Valentine Uwamariya, Minister of Education speaks to media

Rwanda National Police Spokesperson CP Jean Bosco Kabera.

Minister of Local Government, Jean Marie Vianney Gatabazi