29 Aug 2021

Government’s plan is to vaccinate all eligible population including undocumented migrants, Assistant Minister of Health and Wellness, Mr Sethomo Lelatisitswe has said.

“Vaccinating as many people as possible in the country is critical to reducing the spread of COVID-19 and vaccination of undocumented immigrants will offer protection to the rest of the population,” Mr Lelatisitswe said in response to questions asked by Selebi Phikwe West MP, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse in Parliament on Friday.

The assistant minister also indicated that Botswana Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) Policy of 2016 allowed for vaccination of eligible populations.

He said immunisation was provided in accordance with the National Health Policy in order to ensure equity and social justice.

He also told Parliament that immunisation was also offered irrespective of people’s ethnicity, gender, cultural, political, religious affiliation or geographical location.

“This will also include population in refugee camps. Non-citizens being legal residents of this country are eligible for vaccination according to the phased approach of the National Deployment and Vaccination Plan (NDVP),” he said.

Further, he said the NDVP for COVID-19 in Botswana was guided by the Public Health Act of 2013, EPI Policy of 2016 and the National Health Policy.

Mr Keorapetse had wanted to know government’s plans with regard to vaccination of non-citizens and if they were part of the vaccination plan.

He wanted to know whether the vaccination plan had accommodated non-documented immigrants, arguing that if not, such would defeat efforts to create herd immunity. ENDS