Burundi which is one of the last countries in the world to start inoculating its population against Covid-19 has finally agreed to take Covax vaccines — but with a condition.
Africa Daily News, New York gathered that the change of heart is coming barely 24 hours after the IMF agreed in principle to a $78 million (65 million euro) aid package to help Burundi deal with the fallout of the pandemic.
Health Minister Thaddee Ndikumana yesterday revealed that Burundi would accept Covax vaccines offered by the World Bank, but would refuse to sign a waiver he said was demanded by pharmaceutical companies.
Burundi along with Eritrea and North Korea are the only countries yet to start Covid-19 immunisation campaigns after Tanzania began rolling out vaccinations yesterday.
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Until now, the government had refused to be part of the Covax initiative, saying it did not want vaccines that were still ‘at the experimental stage’.
In a major about-turn last year, President Evariste Ndayishimiye declared the coronavirus the country’s “biggest enemy”.
Ndayishimiye and his predecessor Pierre Nkurunziza, who died suddenly in June 2020 amid speculation he had contracted Covid, had previously downplayed the gravity of the pandemic, saying God had spared Burundi from its ravages.
But the country still only rarely gives data on coronavirus infections. The latest, issued on July 13, shows a total of 5,723 cases and eight deaths.
‘When the vaccines are here, any Burundian who wants to can go (and get a jab),’ Ndikumana said.
Burundi will take advantage of a World Bank financing mechanism to allow developing countries to purchase Covid vaccines collectively through Covax.
But the minister insisted Burundi would not sign a form he said would commit the government to compensate victims of “undesirable” side effects from the jabs.
Details of the document and its demands however remain sketchy and it was not immediately clear if Burundi would not take the vaccines if it was obliged to sign the waiver.
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK
