DILI, 10 june 2021 (TATOLI) – The government of Timor-Leste, together with its humanitarian partners, including WHO, UNICEF, and DEFAT launched the second dose of the Covid-19 AstraZeneca vaccination campaign in the country to combat the coronavirus.
Speaking at the campaign ceremony, Timor-Leste’s Health Minister, Odete Maria Belo said the vaccine was important to combat the Covid-19 pandemic in the country, saying the launch of the second Covid-19 vaccination campaign was realized due to the support and efforts made by the humanitarian partners and donors and the Government itself.
“Because of the efforts that had been made by the Inter-ministerial Committee for the Covid-19 vaccination, with the support of the COVAX Facility, humanitarian partners and donors, finally, today we are gathered here to receive the second doses of the Covid-19 vaccine,” Belo made the comments at Dili Convention Center (CCD), today.
“We are grateful and appreciated with the support of our humanitarian partners and donors, as yesterday Timor-Leste again received a total of 100,800 doses of Covid-19 vaccines through the COVAX Facility. It included the 76,800 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine from the COVAX facility and 24, 000 doses donated by the New Zealand government as part of the COVAX vaccine-sharing initiative,” Belo said.
Belo affirmed that around 90.000 of the Timorese population have received their first dose of the covid-19 AstraZeneca vaccine and they can receive their second dose.
Belo said for those people who have received their first dose of covid-19, despite having coronavirus, or currently staying at the isolation center, can still receive their second dose from now and on.
Timor-Leste now has the Covid-19 vaccine, therefore, convincing the communities to get vaccinated was one of the top priorities of the government to focus on, said Belo.
At the same place, the Vise-Minister, Armanda Berta dos Santos called on all entities to work together on the fight against hoax and fake news on the Covid-19 vaccine on social media like Facebook, etc.
“I believe that our unity will lead us to achieve a victory over Covid-19 in Timor-Leste,” Berta said.
The UNICEF representative in Timor-Leste, Bilal Aurang Zeb Durrani said the launch of the second Covid-19 vaccination was very well organized by the Ministry of Health, UNICEF, and WHO to make it a success.
“I think it’s a very important milestone for the country. This is the first time that we are getting the second vaccine and it’s the completion of the vaccination campaign for the first phase,” said Durrani.
In addition, Odete da Silva Viegas, Director-General of Health Services informed that the vaccination of the second dose was expected to conclude on June 30, adding those people who already received their first dose could go and get their second dose in any of these immunization centers, including Dili Convention Center, Fatumeta Clinic, National Hospital, Formosa Health Center, Dili Municipal Health Center, etc.
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges Rosario
