By: Naomi Tappia
Liberians have questioned the credibility of the Covid-19 vaccination going on across the country following their President George Weah’s refusal to confirm whether he has taken the jab.
Ever since the Health Ministry along with the National Public Health Institute of Liberia rolled out the nationwide vaccination exercise, President Weah has not come out in public to take the jab as his counterparts have done across Africa and the world at large.
This has raised concern over the reliability of the AstraZeneca vaccine which qualified age groups are being inoculated with.
As questions gather over the president’s vaccination status, the Presidency and indeed the entire government remained tight-lipped. Speculations over the vaccine’s safety mounting with government critics accusing Weah of endangering the country.
Grapevine within the country’s corridors of power say President Weah took the AstraZeneca vaccine while in France but citizens have described the rumors as misleading with no iota of truth.
The opposition has since called on the President to break the since and tell the nation the truth about his Covid-19 vaccination status adding that the reign of silence on this important issue is negatively impacting the vaccine’s credibility.
Activists and civil society organizations continue to condemn the Weah administration while urging the President to show exemplary leadership to a nation that is slowly losing the battle against the pandemic.
Meanwhile, the country’s Health Minister, Dr Wilhelmina Jallah announced late this week that Liberia had run out of the vaccine amidst the surging daily Covid-19 infections and related deaths.
Speaking recently to local media, the Minister disclosed that the government of Liberia was in talks with partners to ensure that the country gets some doses of the vaccine that will serve people who are desirous of getting the second dose including the first dose.
She also warned people against receiving the jab from other sources adding that the government will inform the public when the vaccine finally lands in the country.
With the country recording an estimate of about 5000 daily infections, Liberians remain concerned with the scarcity of the vaccine.
