More vaccination sites coming at the coast

LEANDREA LOUW WALVIS BAY Erongo governor Neville Andre and regional chief medical officer Dr Leonard Kabongo visited vaccination sites in Walvis Bay and Swakopmund last week.The Narraville Lutheran Chuch Hall vaccination site has seen a steady stream of people queuing for their first and second dose of Sinopharm, or a second dose of AstraZeneca.According to Pastor Mark Beukes, 323 people have been vaccinated for Sinopharm there in the past 11 days.“For the past two days, since the arrival of AstraZeneca, we have vaccinated 284 people for their second doses.”Currently, only Sinopharm is available for first and second doses, while AstraZeneca is available for second doses only.Beukes said a number of people have requested a first dose of AstraZeneca.“A lot have said they are willing to wait until the first dose arrives.”More vaccinesKabongo said the ministry was in the process of procuring more vaccines.Andre added that the target is to vaccinate 121 000 people in the Erongo Region.“We want our people to be vaccinated so that we can get back to some sort of normality. Usually we vaccinate around 400 people, but on Tuesday we managed to vaccinate 900 people. Our target is to reach 1 000 people per day in the region.” New siteAt the newly established Kuisebmond Family Clinic vaccination site, only a few people queued to receive their vaccines.Registered nurse Eelu Hilma said registrations are steadily picking up, despite resistance from some members of the public.“I took a loudspeaker to tell people about the site. People insulted us by saying that we are just here to kill them,” she said.The site is equipped with different rooms for the questionnaire, screening and vaccination process. The room where people are vaccinated is equipped with an oxygen tank, a bed and an emergency trolley in case of allergic reaction.By next week, selected fish factories will also be mobilised as vaccine sites.Mobile teams are also on the move if companies require their services.Apart from the sites in Kuisebmond and Narraville, a vaccination point was also set up at Welwitschia Hospital. Drive-through Meanwhile, Gondwana Collection Namibia announced the first drive-through and walk-in vaccination station at the coast would open in Walvis Bay on 17 August, and move to Swakopmund on 31 August.In Walvis Bay, it will run from 17 to 27 August at the Jan Wilken Stadium, with access from Sport Street. Operating hours are 10:00 to 18:00 from Monday to Friday, and on Saturday and Heroes’ Day (26 August) from 10:00 to 14:00. The site will be closed on Sunday.In Swakopmund, the site will be operational from 31 August to 10 September at the rugby stadium. Access is from Welwitschia Street, from 10:00 to 18:00 from Monday to Friday, and on Saturday from 10:00 to 14:00. The site will also be closed on Sunday.Vaccines are provided by the health ministry and the public is requested to download vaccination forms prior to their visit.Vaccination forms are available at gondwana-collection.com.The drive-through vaccination station will grant frontline workers preference to jump the line if they arrive in uniform or with an official vehicle.Individuals or companies who would like to support this initiative can contact the Gondwana Care Trust at vax@gcnam.com.Volunteers for administration and parking are welcome. A beverage and meal will be provided per four-hour shift.leandrea@republikein.com.na

More vaccination sites coming at the coast

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-02

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More vaccination sites coming at the coast

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-02

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