The Government of Rwanda has kicked off the national vaccination programme for Covid-19, starting with health care staff as part of the high-risk groups, the Ministry of Health said.

According to a statement released by the ministry, the vaccines, also approved by the World Health Organisation, (WHO), were acquired through international partnerships.

The move comes at a time the virus continues to claim lives create havoc in the country, just like it is in the rest of the world.

“This initial phase will be followed by a wider roll out this month with supplies expected from the Covax facility and the AU’s Africa Medical Supplies Platform,” the statement reads in part.

“Rwanda’s Covid-19 vaccination is ready, with infrastructure, protocol and personnel in place,” the statement added.

The national vaccination program is expected to be done in phases.

In the first phase, the vaccine will go to frontline workers in healthcare including but not limited to those working in treatment centres and Intensive Care Units (ICUs).

This phase, officials noted, will also see the vaccination of people above 65 and those whose immunity is weak and is likely to easily be compromised like those with cancer, diabetes, HIV and other serious diseases.

Also to be considered are other groups because of their vulnerabilities like correctional facility inmates, people in refugee and security personnel that are exposed to the risk of the virus in one way or another.

Rwanda has so far confirmed 17,267 positive cases of which 14,477 have already recovered.

The country has 14 patients who are in critical condition.