Figures from the Ministry of Health show that 12,769 people were vaccinated in two days this week; 7,423 on Wednesday and 5,346 on Thursday, majority of them from the City of Kigali City.

Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, the Director-General of Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC), told The New Times on Thursday, July 22, that the new jabs arrived this week on Monday, adding that the country receives a batch of vaccines at least every two weeks.

He said that the target population for the vaccines administered this week were mainly those of 50 years and above.

The vaccines come in small quantities, he said, adding that they receive between 30,000 and 40,000 doses for every shipment.

"They keep sending different batches and installments as the production is done,” he said, adding that the vaccines are obtained through the Covax facility.

"Most of the vaccines that arrived in July were Pfizer doses. Due to the limited quantity, we started in districts with high burden and as we get more vaccines, we shall extend the exercise to other parts of the country.”

Even though Kigali City is under lockdown, as well as eight other districts, people seeking to be vaccinated were allowed to go to the nearby health centre for their jabs.

Samson Twahirwa, 50, one of the citizens who received the vaccine from Kimisagara Health Centre, said he didn’t want to miss out because he hoped that once he would be vaccinated, his immune system would be boosted and he won’t be the victim of Covid.

"I was excited when I got the message that I am among the people who will be vaccinated. I was waiting for it so keenly because the pandemic is becoming more serious and I wanted the protection,” he said.

Judith Mukabayire, 57, said that she used to believe rumors around Covid vaccines but it changed when she saw her neighbours who were vaccinated strong and sound.

"I came here today to take the vaccine because currently the virus is severe, and the numbers of new cases and deaths are rising day by day. That is why I decided to take the vaccine because I know that once I am vaccinated I won’t be affected much by the virus,” she said, adding that she also had hypertension, and it makes her more vulnerable.

Like Twahirwa, Mukabayire also got her jab from Kimisagara on Thursday, July 21.

On the next delivery

The RBC boss revealed that at the end of July, "we may have other shipments, but there is no precise date yet.”

He added that the volume of the vaccines that are expected and the manufacturers are both yet to be confirmed.

Rwanda plans to vaccinate at least 60 per cent of the population by the end of 2022, according to the Ministry of Health.

So far 418,473 have been fully vaccinated.

Until 60 per cent of the country is vaccinated, people are urged to keep following all Covid prevention measures, whether vaccinated or not, because everyone can transmit the virus.

The primary preventive measures include wearing masks properly, keeping distance and washing hands regularly.