Samia Suluhu: Don't force Covid-19 jab on anyone

President of Tanzania Samia Suluhu Hassan speaks during the 76th Session of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, U.S. September 23, 2021. [Timothy A. Clary, Reuters]

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu has warned against abusing the recently introduced fast-track vaccination campaign against Covid-19.

Addressing the Association of Local Authorities in Tanzania annual general meeting in the capital Dodoma, Suluhu said reports indicated that some health workers were moving house to house forcing people to get the jabs. 

"Vaccination against the Covid-19 pandemic is voluntary. People will turn up in big numbers to get the jabs if there is enough awareness creation on the importance of the vaccination," she told the meeting broadcast live by state-run Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation. 

Gerson Msigwa, Tanzania's government chief spokesperson, said on Sunday that more than 400,000 people had been vaccinated against the Covid-19 pandemic, adding that the vaccination has gained momentum since the government launched a campaign aimed at fast-tracking vaccination against Covid-19 on Sept. 20. 

The fast-track vaccination campaign saw the number of vaccination centres increased from 550 to 6,784 across the east African nation.