They are no longer exempt from vaccinations and are among the 135,000 adults who are called for the vaccine to supplement immunity. Component 2 of Sputnik V resumes on 8th September and vaccination for adolescents at Pfizer will start in the week of 20th September. The Ministry of Health has recorded 22 deaths directly caused by Covid since March 2021. Variant C 1.2 is in fact a strain that does not affect us but a follow-up is being done on Variant MU (Colombian). 32 doctors have been recruited for the Domiciliary Monitoring Unit (DMU)
These are the highlights of the weekly meeting of the National Communication Committee (NCC).
Statistics and Vaccinations
In immunisation, Mauritius has reached 824,232 primo vaccinated, or 87% of the adult population, and 760,972 total vaccinated, or 81%. In Rodrigues, 21,154 people or 49% of the population are primo vaccinated and 15,864 or 37% have a complete vaccination schedule.
The government received earlier this week, a shipment of 30,000 doses of Sputnik V, which will be inoculated to the second dose on 8 September. “Those whose appointments have already passed should report their attendance to the 141 hotline,” said Health Minister Dr Kailesh Jagutpal. For the Pfizer vaccine for 138,901 adolescents, 54,408 aged 16 and 17 and 84,333 aged 12 to 16, “we will receive a shipment of 76,050 doses in the third week of September and inoculation will start immediately for the 16- to 17-year-olds,” he announced. Vaccination in the wards continue but they will also be available in the Medi-clinic and dispensaries very soon. As far as Johnson & Johnson is concerned, a major share is for travellers, especially youngsters going for studies. There was a long queue and even a scramble at the Mutual Aid Building, where the Minister has tried to make it clear that some people did not have all the necessary information and others did not have all the required documents. “You have to contact Mutual Aid from 9am to 4pm on Mondays to Fridays and from 9am to 12am on Saturdays,” he advised.
Current Covid Situation – 32 doctors recruited
At the New ENT Hospital in Vacoas, there are 85 patients separated in two wards. 50 patients have mild symptoms and 31 are asymptomatic, while 4 are in critical condition and are admitted to intensive care. There are 941 asymptomatic patients in the various treatment centres, 2,347 self-isolated people in total and 3,455 in the quarantine centres, of which 614, tagged as passengers and 638 are counted as ‘Contacts’. 2223 Contacts’ are in self-isolation. The Domiciliary Monitoring Unit will have a lot of monitoring and visiting to do. This Friday, the Ministry of Health approved the recruitment of 32 doctors for this purpose. There will be about 6 doctors per region and their contact numbers will be communicated for emergency cases that would not be reported to the 141 hotline.
22 deaths directly attributed to Covid-19.
Since 5th March, the Ministry of Health has recorded 57 deaths, 22 of which are directly linked to Covid, certified by a doctor, according to the WHO criteria. The burial or immolation is done at the Bigara cemetery in Curepipe in the presence of inspectors. According to Dr Jagutpal, “in case of saturation, or bad weather, the procession is done at the Bois Marchand cemetery“.
Expecting and new mothers no longer exempted from vaccinations
To reach its 100% of the adult population vaccinated, the ministry counts 135,000 missing. This figure is likely to decrease, since, as announced by Dr Zouberr Joomye: “the vaccination of breastfeeding women and pregnant women was indeed a contraindication at first, but this is no longer the case, following the latest scientific findings. Thus, according to the spokesperson, pregnant women have a greater risk of developing a severe form of the virus, even causing death. With the vaccine, we will be able to treat those pregnant and Covid-positive women, who are at risk of premature delivery or even abortion,” he said. According to these studies, breastfeeding women would benefit from the vaccine as much as their infants. As a result, pregnant and breastfeeding women are no longer counted as people who are under special conditions, unfit for the vaccine. Therefore, they will be considered like everyone else, eligible for vaccines, and sectors and companies that are under vaccination obligation will be able to impose it on them. As for the 14% of the population that is still resistant to vaccines, Dr. Joomye almost urged diabetics, dialysis patients, people with high blood pressure, cardiovascular problems and kidney failure, obese people, people with cancer and those cured of cancer, and especially those with Down’s syndrome, to get vaccinated and protect themselves as soon as possible.
C.1.2 is actually a strain !
The strain discovered in South Africa should not worry us because it is not even a variant. Confirmed by the virologist, Dr Catherine Gaud, “C.1.2 is not as dangerous as rumoured. We did detect the strain on two passengers last January and in June, but it was contained by our quarantine plan. The sequences were sent to England for these cases and we did not detect more. The sequencing exercise is still carried out on a regular basis at the dedicated laboratory in Candos. In fact, our concern has to turn to the MU variant, which is not a Mauritian variant but a Colombian variant circulating in South Africa,” she concluded.
