DAR ES SALAAM, Jan. 11 — The East African Community (EAC) on Tuesday urged East Africans to turn out in large numbers for vaccination against COVID-19 as part of collective efforts to contain the spread of the virus in the region.
Peter Mathuki, the EAC secretary-general, also encouraged those who have been vaccinated to go for booster shots to ensure continued protection against the virus.
Mathuki said in a statement that resistance to vaccines was undermining efforts to jumpstart the regional economy after the damage caused by the pandemic. He also said the global trend was that vaccination certificates would soon be required for travelers and those seeking to participate in meetings and conferences.
Mathuki commended EAC member states for their ongoing efforts to integrate their systems with the EACPass, a digital system that would be used to track negative COVID-19 test results and vaccination certificates, thereby easing cross-border travel and trade in the region.
“One of the most gigantic challenges of our time is how to manage our region with the current global pandemic. It is a daunting task to bring everyone on board in addressing COVID-19 related challenges,” he said.
“I encourage that we pull together, notwithstanding that the situation is worsening with the emergence of the Omicron variant,” Mathuki added.
The EAC member states are Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. And the EAC is based in Arusha, Tanzania. (Xinhua)