The demand of vaccination in the district of Duz Khurmatu south of Kirkuk is soaring up as the locals recall the serious infection cases of Covid-19 of their relatives.
Local health officials believe that health awareness of the public especially about the need for vaccination to end the pandemic is a factor behind the queues for vaccination in the health in the state-run hospital.
Hussein Mohammed, a resident of Duz, has lost one of his brothers following serious symptoms of Covid-19 infection. He tested positive few months ago. He received the first dose of Sinopharm vaccine of Covid-19 two weeks ago. The second dose is due on May 21.
“I told all my relatives to take the vaccine. I had no side effects following the vaccination. The only way to overcome this virus is vaccination.
“I told all my relatives to take the vaccine. I had no side effects following the vaccination. The only way to overcome this virus is vaccination.
Mohammed recalls in the beginning the demand for vaccination was low and health outlets were deserted. “Now it is the opposite. The day I took my first does, there were so many people that half of them were asked by the health outlet manager to come back next day.
The multi-ethnic district of Duz Khurmatu, located 70 kilometers south of Kirkuk and part of Salahaddin province, is one of the disputed territories between Erbil and Baghdad, home to 130,000 Turkmens, Kurds and Arabs.
Up to May 12, Duz registered 86 deaths out of 4676 positive cases. Currently there are 411 positive cases hospitalized and at home pushing people for vaccination.
Baghdad March 2, 2021- Staff of a special hospital for Covid-19 cases receiving jabs. Photo by ministry of health media.
Duz administration has allocated two health centers for the inoculation jab which Iraq joined in March. About 925 locals have received Sinopharm and Astra Zeneca vaccines up to mid-May.
Every day, 30-40 people are vaccinated.
Nawzad Nouri, manager of Komari health center for vaccination, said in the beginning people were reluctant. “We were begging them to come yet now they beg to receive the vaccine and register for it. The turnout is high and we are pleased because this shows people are well-informed.
The Iraqi ministry of health has launched a platform for application to receive the vaccine.
Sherwan Shukur, 29, though have been inoculated, he tested positive few days later. “I regret taking the vaccine for nothing.
Iraq has registered about 1.15 million cases and about 16,000 deaths. Over 470,000 people received the first dose, 19,000 of them from the province of Salahaddin.
