By the end of business on the first day of Covid-19 vaccination in Rwanda a total of 75,056 people had been vaccinated, and so far, according to the Rwanda Biomedical Center (RBC), no side effects have been reported. Health facilities in all the four provinces of the country have received vaccine doses, and the inoculation exercise has been ongoing since Friday, focusing on people identified as high-risk groups including frontline workers, people above 65 years, and those with underlying health conditions. As part of the campaign, the Ministry of Health (MoH) has put in place mechanisms of following up on the recipients of the vaccines in case there are any side effects, but, so far, there has not been reports of any. On Saturday, March 6, MoH moved to include teachers – for both primary and secondary schools among those who received the vaccine on the day, in addition to prison inmates, and besides the usual risk groups. Speaking to The New Times, Julien Niyingabira the Head of Rwanda Health Communications Center (RHC) said: “There isn’t any (complications from the vaccine). And I would like to note that there are teams that have been put in place to follow up on the vaccine recipients, both on long term and short term. They will be ready to provide guidelines and medical support in case they are needed. So far, no complication has manifested due to the vaccine, but even if such happens, there are medical teams ready to provide support.” What some people that have been vaccinated say? “I don’t have any problem. Nothing has changed,” said Tilifonie Mukakigeri, a 71-year-old female resident of Masaka Sector in Kigali, after she had been vaccinated on Friday. “Even in the past, we used to get vaccinated for diseases, and we would also take our children for the same. For me, I know the importance of a vaccine. This is usual stuff,” she added. Jean Damascene Nkurunziza, 49, a community Health Worker, and a resident of Masaka sector – Kigali, also echoed the same. “We were happy when we were called upon for this vaccination exercise. I have been vaccinated. I don’t have any problem. I think from here, I will go and tell others that they should not be afraid, there is no problem,” he said. Alex Nteziryayo, a teacher in Kigali is also one of those who got vaccinated. “I am okay in my body. And by the way, I have also noticed that the jab is not painful. I almost did not recognise they had injected me, because there was almost no pain,” he said. Gideon Haburukundo, another teacher, from Groupe Scolaire Kimisagara said: “I feel well. It is a normal injection.”
