Prognosis

With Shots Finally on Hand, Nations Struggle to Get Them in Arms

  • After long wait, poor nations look for roll-out solutions
  • Covax and African officials faced with a range of barriers
A nurse administers a Covid-19 vaccine in Yaounde, Cameroon.Photographer: Daniel Beloumou/AFP/Getty Images
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As shipments of Covid-19 shots ramp up for billions of people left behind last year, and new vaccines make their way to the public, dozens of countries are struggling to turn supplies into inoculations.

A dearth of immunization sites in Cameroon, weak communication and Covid denial in the Democratic Republic of Congo and a syringe shortfall in Kenya are among the hurdles complicating rollouts. In Zimbabwe, which initially raced ahead of many peers, complacency and a perception of omicron as less serious slowed the campaign; long vaccine queues have turned into a trickle.