Zambia on Tuesday commenced the administration of the oral cholera vaccine in the shanty towns of Lusaka, the country’s capital, the most affected by the current outbreak.
The authorities started administering 1.4 million doses out of the 1.7 million vaccines received from the World Health Organization in Matero township, one of the most affected shanty compounds.
Minister of Health Sylvia Masebo said at the launch that residents would be given one dose each instead of the recommended two doses because the vaccines were not sufficient to cater to all people.
The vaccine, she added, will also be given to health workers who have been at the forefront of the fight against cholera.
The minister also emphasised the need to maintain hygiene, adding that the government is doing everything it can to contain the outbreak.
Masebo also highlighted that some of the measures that have been put in place by government include burying shallow wells and providing clean and safe drinking water.
Zambia has been battling the cholera outbreak since October last year, with the total number of cases now standing at 9,953, while 397 people have died, according to the Ministry of Health.
