As part of the government's COVID-19 vaccine strategy, health workers will be among the first in the country to be vaccinated against the virus, said an insider at the Ministry of Health. 

30,000 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine have arrived yesterday at the Banjul International Airport. 

The arrival of the vaccine came shortly after UNICEF Gambia announced that 37,0000 COVAX syringes were delivered to the Ministry of Health. The syringes were shipped from the Gavi-funded stockpile at UNICEF’s humanitarian warehouse in Dubai. 

Our source at the Ministry, who begged for anonymity, said the health workers will get access to the vaccine first arguing that they are the most important sector in the fight against COVID-19. 

He also disclosed that his ministry is targeting to vaccinate 75-80 per cent of the Gambian population to achieve herd immunity. 

The vaccine will be rolled out in phases.