DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) – Tanzania said on Friday embassies and international agencies can import COVID-19 vaccines to inoculate their citizens and staff against the coronavirus.
The move is part of a more proactive approach to tackling the disease following the death in March of President John Magufuli, who underplayed the pandemic and expressed scepticism of vaccines.[nL1N2LZ0KF}
The announcement came after experts presented President Samia Suluhu Hassan with a plan, including the issuing of vaccines in the country.
“President Samia (Suluhu Hassan) said embassies and international organisations have been permitted to import COVID-19 vaccines to inoculate their own nationals and staff to meet their countries and institution’s requirements and remove barriers on their daily work,” the presidency said in a statement.
The health ministry will coordinate the importation of vaccines for them, it added.
Tanzania is one of a handful of African countries that have not yet received vaccines, according to the World Health Organization.
The government reported 509 infections and 21 coronavirus-related deaths before it stopped reporting cases in May 2020. The experts have advised the government to resume publishing accurate statistics.
(Reporting by Nairobi newsroom; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
