Achieving herd immunity

Since launching a cholera vaccination campaign on October 29, 42 % of the targeted population in Ngazidja has been vaccinated in just three days, marking significant progress toward collective immunity.

On Friday, November 1, health officials held a press conference at the Ministry of Health. They were led by Dr. Ben Imani, the Secretary General of the Ministry, the conference aimed to provide updates on the cholera vaccination effort. A second round of vaccinations started on Tuesday, October 29, to help the Comorian population achieve herd immunity and end the ongoing outbreak.

« Since the beginning of this unprecedented campaign, we have been thrilled by the increasing eagerness of citizens to get vaccinated. During the initial round in Ngazidja in June, a total of 431,264 people received the vaccine. Since Tuesday, we have vaccinated an additional 10,230 people, covering 42 % of our previously targeted population », stated Dr. Imani. By the end of this mass vaccination effort, the country aims to achieve herd immunity.

He underscored the government’s dedication to combating cholera and expressed gratitude to the partners who provided sufficient cholera vaccines to cover the entire population. Meanwhile, Dr. Saindou Ben Ali Mbae, Director General of Health, noted that authorities are preparing to declare the end of the outbreak. However, a few cases have recently been detected in northern Ngazidja, underscoring the need to increase awareness of the importance of vaccination to contain the disease fully.