Over 7,000 receive Sinopharm vaccine, says official

MORE than 7,000 people have received the Sinopharm Coronavirus (Covid-19) vaccine in the country, a doctor says.
Chinese medical team deputy captain Dr Liu Zhenqui said as of Friday, 7,822 people had received the vaccine with 13,345 doses administered.
He said 13 locations had been visited by the Sinopharm vaccination team including Port Moresby, Madang, Lae, Mt Hagen, Wabag, Mendi, Goroka, Kokopo, Kimbe, Vanimo, Wewak, Kavieng and Kiunga.
People wishing to get the Sinopharm vaccine can go to the Port Moresby General Hospital, Kavieng General Hospital, Namatanai Hospital in New Ireland, and the Butuwin sub-health centre in West New Britain. He said the team would visit other centres to conduct training for health workers and carry out vaccination.
“Vaccination is the only effective way to protect people from the Covid-19,” he said.
“All the vaccines are safe and people should willingly come forward to get the vaccine.”
He urged people to heed health control measures such as the washing of hands, wearing of masks and social distancing. Dr Zhenqui also cautioned the people on the risk of the Delta variant detected in the country. The National Pandemic Response Deputy controller Dr Daoni Esorom said last week that the Delta cases had been increasing in the border provinces of Western and West Sepik.