Vaccination against covid-19 in Guinea: where is the National Health Security Agency?

The vaccination campaign against covid-19 has been underway in our country for several months. What is the national vaccination strategy? Are these vaccines safe? What form of side effect? This vaccination raises a lot of questions and a lot of fake news is relayed on social networks. Universciences takes stock with Doctor Sory Condé, research manager in the ANSS surveillance department.

Since the official launch of the vaccination campaign on March 5, 2021, in Conakry and on April 23, inside the country; the institution in charge of the response against covid-19 has climbed a few stairs in the effort to slow the spread of the virus, by vaccinating for the moment, “264,950 people, with at least a first dose, among which there are 87,730 people who have completed their vaccination,” reports Doctor Sory Condé, study manager in the surveillance department of the ANSS.

The ANSS’s winning strategy

To do this, a strategy was adopted by the National Health Security Agency to accelerate vaccination, particularly in the capital. “Already in Conakry as we know, it is the epicenter of coronavirus disease. So at least a week ago, we launched accelerated vaccination. This process continues, it should even end this week, it allows us to boost vaccination in certain most affected neighborhoods. Unlike other countries, we have adopted a strategy called the winning strategy which targets socio-professional groups, neighborhoods which have recorded a large number of confirmed cases. explains Doctor Sory.

Many sub-prefectures have not received the vaccine yet

Although there are a certain number of sub-prefectures which have not benefited from the vaccine, despite everything, others are vaccinating the populations, who will not all have even the first dose of the vaccine. “Vaccination is being done in the sub-prefectures, but it is not as widespread for everyone. Because we don't have enough vaccines for the whole country at once. But depending on the targets already identified, vaccination continues,” admits Doctor Condé.

Doubts about Astra Zeneca

Tongues are being loosened on the effectiveness of the vaccines which have been received on Guinean territory, in particular the Astra Zeneca vaccine. The majority of people do not see it favorably, yet the ANSS has just released a circular note defining it, also for the age group 18 and over. Doctor Sory Condé lifts the veil in these terms: “Astra Zeneca, Sputnik V and Sinovac, all the vaccines that we are using at the moment, there is no vaccine that has not completed all the phases for the vaccine to be licensed. This finds that we have all the information around the vaccine. The WHO sent us a note according to which the additional information at their disposal affirms that the vaccine can also be effective on subjects aged 18 to 54 years. So we can add it to that already in force for those aged 55 and over.”

Minor side effects

Of the cases of side effects linked to this vaccination campaign, there were no serious ones, however minor cases were recorded. “We have recorded 274 cases of side effects but these are all minor cases, we have not recorded major cases at the moment,” affirms the research manager in the ANSS surveillance department.

Once vaccinated, can we do without respecting barrier gestures? No !

Many people embrace the idea that, once vaccinated, we can do without respecting barrier gestures, while still thinking of being immune to the virus. This is not the case. “Barrier gestures are in force. They must be respected and despite the figures which are appreciable in relation to vaccination. We are not sufficiently vaccinated to hope to reach a level of collective humility. It is true that we are seeing the drop in the number of confirmed cases per day, but as long as we do not have high vaccination coverage, a proportion of people having been fully vaccinated, if this proportion is not around 60% to 70% and more, we cannot say that we must abandon barrier gestures,” underlines Doctor Sory Condé, study manager in the surveillance department of the ANSS.

Vaccination and barrier gestures to influence the circulation of the virus

Initially, vaccination is complementary to barrier gestures and health measures. In fact, vaccination is done gradually. For the moment, a limited number of people are vaccinated and this is not enough to influence the circulation of the virus. We must reach 70% to 80% of people vaccinated to hope to stop the virus. And with this relaxation of barrier gestures, a high risk of spread of the virus is possible.

 

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