By KETRA KALUNGA
COVID-19 vaccines do not need to be upgraded because they cover broadly all the variants that we have, Zambia National Public Health Institute director, ProfessorVictor Mukonka, has explained.
Prof Mukonka said in an interview that despite the virus mutating, the vaccines have proven to be efficacious against existing variants.
He assured that the vaccines are safe and effective therefore people shouldn’t shun being vaccinated so that they are protected from severe forms of Covid-19.
“Vaccines cover broadly all variants we currently have and they are safe and efficacious so we encourage all to get vaccinated to protect themselves from getting a severe form of Covid that in most cases leads to death,” he said.
Prof. Mukonka was responding to concerns raised by Mr Lazarus Chisela, leader of the Zambia United for Sustainable Development that the vaccines are outdated because of the emerging variants.
Mr. Chisela said in an interview that the vaccines should be upgraded in view of the second variant that has emerged which has made the vaccines outdated.
He argued that the vaccines should be upgraded because the virus keeps mutating and is currently on a high level.
“We have the second variant which has a different composition, so they must give another type of vaccine. The vaccine must be upgraded, which means the previous vaccines are absolute; the Johnson and Johnson and AstraZeneca they are outdated,” Mr Chisela said.
‘Covid vaccines effective against all existing variants’
