Credit: UNSOM/Mukhtar Nuur
8 November 2021 – As the head of the Shabellow Bay Camp for internally displaced persons in southwest Somalia Ibrahim Mohamed Ali spends a lot of his time trying to convince his community members to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Ibrahim explains that even though his cousin in Baidoa had advised him to get vaccinated earlier on, he was not totally convinced at first, as no one seemed to know enough about the virus and vaccines — it all seemed so new to everyone.
“After seeing a number of my friends in the camp die all of a sudden due to COVID-19, I realized that the vaccination would help me to fight COVID-19 and could save my life,” said Ibrahim.
He adds, “This was the first time I had ever received a vaccine for my health, and I am so thankful to the Ministry of Health, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF and all donors who have made the effort to support me and other Somalis to keep safe from COVID-19.”
Support from the US Government key to preventing COVID-19 spread
Somalis have been able to receive COVID-19 vaccines with the support of donors such as the Government of the United States of America (USA), through the COVAX Facility. WHO and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) have been supporting the federal and state ministries of health to offer vaccines in all states.
In August 2021, the US Government donated 302 400 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines to Somalia. Following this, on 7 November 2021, Somalia received another shipment of an additional 336 500 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccines. In a country where an estimated 2.6 million people are permanently internally displaced and an estimated 26% of the country’s population are nomadic, this one-dose regimen of COVID-19 vaccines are ideally suitable for Somalia to fully vaccinate as many at-risk populations as possible to end the pandemic.
Credit: WHO Somalia/Ismail Taxta
“The one-dose COVID-19 vaccines that Somalia has received are a game-changer for the country’s displaced, nomadic and other vulnerable populations as this is a one-dose regimen unlike other COVID-19 vaccines and owing to the mobility of these groups of people, this one dose can offer immunity and protection to these groups and can rapidly increase the number of people fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the country,” said Dr Mamunur Rahman Malik, WHO Representative to Somalia.
Already popular within communities, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine needs only one dose to be administered to offer protection against COVID-19. This consignment of vaccines will be used to protect mainly internally displaced persons, nomads and other populations who are difficult to access.
Fewer women than men vaccinated so far
Credit: WHO Somalia/Ismail Taxta
As of 6 November, Somalia had administered 693 683 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, which can be translated as 4.43 doses/100 people administered. So far, 2.37% of the Somali population have been partially vaccinated and 2.06% have been fully vaccinated, with most of the doses having been administered in urban areas. Just over one third (39%) of people vaccinated are women.
The Ministry of Health, with support from WHO and UNICEF, will deploy 496 teams in November 2021 to reach more people with the COVID-19 vaccines received, in an effort to prevent further spread of COVID-19.
