Cabo Verde: Covid-19 vaccination plan foresees paper, digital certificates, card

Cabo Verde’s national plan for vaccination against Covid-19 provides for the issuance of a certificate and an individual card after the administration of the vaccine, which is to be carried out in all health facilities in the country.

The national plan, consulted by Lusa on Friday, estimates that 20% of the population – priority groups – will be vaccinated this year, and establishes that proof of vaccination is to be issued free of charge and in three forms. 

A certificate and individual vaccination card are to be issued, printed “immediately after the registration of vaccine administration” in the official system, and a digital certificate of vaccination is also to be sent by email or via the www.covid-19.cv official portal. The certificate and vaccination card must contain, besides the individual’s identity details, date of vaccination, data on each dose of vaccine and booster, as well as information on the manufacturer, batch and serial number. 

The vaccination process will also involve a publicity campaign in the media, but also the mass sending of text messages to mobile phones, and other campaigns to mobilise the population.

The national plan for vaccination against Covid-19 is expected to cost around $2.5 million (€2 million), not including the purchase of vaccines – which in 2021 is to be funded by the World Bank to the tune of around €4 million – and provides for the adoption of a “strategy of fixed [vaccination] posts, close to the target population, to reduce travel time, minimise costs and ensure logistics.” 

Priority will be given to “awareness-raising for target groups” so as to “reduce travel time, minimise costs and ensure logistics.

“Awareness-raising for target groups in general will include census-taking, focus groups, community and institutional meetings in order to maximise uptake,” the plan states. “The vaccination posts will be constituted by health structures, namely health centres, health posts, hospitals, among others.” 

Without specifying the origin of vaccine supplies, the plan states that it is necessary to acquire 267,293 doses for the priority target population, totalling 111,372 people, based on the goal of inoculating a total of 60% of the population by 2023. This is to be done by inoculating 20% this year, 20% next, and 20% in 2023.

Within the priority vaccination group, to be vaccinated this year, the plan estimates 4,272 health professionals, 24,500 chronic sufferers of hypertension and diabetes, 40,000 people aged 60 or over, 11,280 hotel or tourism-related professionals, 1,500 professionals working at international entry points, 20,000 teachers and school support personnel, 7,000 police officers, 2,500 members of the military and 320 civil defence and firefighting personnel.

Since the start of the pandemic, Cabo Verde has had 142 deaths associated with Covid-19 out of 14,885 confirmed infections.