By John Nkengasong
Dr. Nkengasong is the director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
March 27, 2022
Last month, in my role as leader of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, I asked that donations of Covid-19 vaccines to Africa be momentarily delayed until the third and fourth quarter of the year. At the moment, Africa’s most pressing need is administering the vaccines we have to willing people. Every country is unique in what it needs to fight Covid-19, but logistical challenges and issues of vaccine hesitancy — similar to those seen in other places around the world — have momentarily outstripped shortages for the continent. We do not want vaccines to go to waste. Now that supply is not the primary challenge, we need to focus on better delivery.