The accelerated launched of the Covid-19 vaccination in Tombo saw a huge turnout of resident from that community.

FOCUS 1000 a local NGO, Kombra Network and its partners, the African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) and the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, with support from the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa-CDC) accelerated launched of Covid-19 vaccination in Tombo.

The vaccination exercise, according to officials, is part of efforts to increase the uptake of COVID-19 jabs in the country where official figures show that only about 2 percent of the population has been inoculated against the viral pandemic.

The exercise which has been designed for one month and with the goal of vaccinating at least 80,000 people with a total of 100 sites been earmarked for deployment of vaccination teams, which include both stationary and mobile teams moving from location to location with the aim of bringing the vaccine to the people was warmly received in Tombo.

One of the residents of Tombo, Mabinty Hassan Sesay said she felt good after taken the vaccine as she was not feeling too okay before.

Mabinty said she is going to be a campaigner for the vaccine to other women. 

One of the motorbike riders, Abdulai Kargbo after taking the vaccine said he felt okay and sweat covered him just after vaccination.

He was among hundreds of motorbike riders that queued at the Tombo Health Centre to take the vaccine voluntarily. Abdulai encouraged others including bike riders to take the vaccine for them to enjoy good health.

Focus1000 Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Jalloh used Dr Ramdana Jalloh, the National Chairman of the Kombra Network a renowned religious scholar in the country as a good example of those that took the vaccine during the launched last Saturday.

He said vaccines have fought lot of diseases in the country such as Polio, Dry Cough among others.

“The vaccine is free, safe and effective. Don’t miss this opportunity.”

He spoke about the mobilisation of communities to go forward and accept the vaccine as it is the essence of Focus 1000.

“There are lot of rumours but when you get trusted voices like religious leaders, traditional healers, market women coming out to say the vaccine is safe, effective and free then you are able to encourage other people to come forward.”

He spoke also about Focus 1000 work with the communities’ leaders with a very simple message “Take Maklate and Save your life,” adding that he and many key people including the President have taken it.

“The vaccination is safe, save your life, go forward and be vaccinated I have been vaccinated so please is now your turn to go for it all.”

He further spoke about the awareness they want to raise about the important and safety of the vaccination and to encourage people to go forward.

NaCOVERC Vaccine Pillar Lead and Child Health EPI Program Manager, Dr. Tom Sesay said the vaccination is nationwide for one month from the age of 18 years. 

“COVID-19 is not a lie business but true and we should take it very seriously. We all should fight it and we look forward to your support. We will be looking at the figure that is coming from Tombo.”  

Health Education Manager Harold Thomas said the covid-19 is the pandemic of the unvaccinated. The vaccine, he went on is to help fight the virus if one comes across it and one has  already been vaccinated, one can survive but if one does not take the vaccine and falls sick, one might die. 

MoHS Deputy Minister II, Dr. Amara Jambai advised his audience to make sure that everybody in their household is vaccinated.

He said the number of death is too much in the country, covid-19 is a sick that come and go without detecting it.

“Covid-19 is real, my junior brother die of it in the United States. The only way the rest of the world will respect us is when they see us vaccinated.”

He pointed out that they are partnering with Focus 1000 because they know how to enter communities through religious leadership.

Constituency 105 Member of Parliament, Hon. Abdul Turay urged his people to pay attention on the disease as the vaccine is free which he has taken and nothing happened to him. 

Hon. Turay advised families head to encourage their families to take the vaccine for the safety of their family as sickness is not looking for the rich or poor.

“Let us don’t compromise sickness if we do we have created trouble.”