Camerooon: Scientific Council Suspends Acquisition Of 'Controversial' AstraZeneca Vaccine

Government has suspended plans to acquire the AstraZeneca vaccine to assist in fighting the spread of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision was taken by members of the Scientific Council.

This was after separate consultations between them and the Ministry of Public health as well as traditional medical practitioners. The consultations were held Thursday 18 March 2021 on instructions of the Prime Minister, Head of Government. The said vaccine was due to arrive the country Saturday 20 March 2021.

Harping on the issue of vaccination during the consultations, Dr. SHALOM Ndoula, Permanent Secretary of the Expanded Programme on Immunization said for the moment, the Scientific Council of Public Health Emergencies have requested that the administration of the AstraZeneca vaccine proposed to Cameroon be suspended.

This, the medic added was in accordance with the principle of precaution and prudence. The council according to a release issued by the Ministry of Public Health 18 Match 2021 reiterated that the vaccination plan for the time being does not foresee mass vaccination, but targeted voluntary cases.

During the consultations which covered topics including epidemic control, circulation of variant strains among others, the participants revealed that the epidemiological situation of the health crisis is worrying but not alarming. They said the existence and proliferation of clusters requires that the various actors and partners involved in the response reflect on the best solutions to be undertaken.

Minister Manaouda Malachie hailed the contribution of the traditional medical practitioners in response to the first wave of the virus which he said helped in reducing the number of patients with severe forms. He expressed the wish to see the synergy between the traditional medical practitioners and the medical doctors to continue fighting the virus.

It was recommended after the consultations that there should be multiplication of screening centres, revision of patient care circuit by integrating medical and pre-hospital regulation, establishment of platform to promote research on COVID-19, codification of outpatient care among others.

The traditional medical practitioners recommended to ensure systematic referral of COVID-19 emergencies in health facilities by actors of traditional medicine, authorization for admission into health facilities, in their primary form, of traditional medicine recipes and drugs at the patient’s request, support of actors in carrying out clinical trials, raising of awareness by actors, provision of grant to LANACOME allowing the analysis of all traditional treatments presumed to be effective among others.