COVID-19 vaccination to restart the economy while protecting the vulnerable in the Seychelles

Seychelles

Photo: Ministry of Health, Seychelles. Leading by example: a nurse explains as the First Lady of Seychelles gives her consent to be vaccinated.

COVID-19 vaccination to restart the economy while protecting the vulnerable

In March 2020, Seychelles reported its first case of COVID-19 at a time when the country was undergoing a period of political transition. The World Health Organization (WHO) worked alongside the government, providing technical assistance to help contain the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and then reopen the economy. In January 2021, the country became the first African nation to launch a vaccination campaign: 64 000 people had received their first dose and 34 000 their second dose when travel restrictions were eased in March 2021. By October 2022, 82% of the adult population and 69.7% of adolescents (12 to 17 years) had received their primary vaccine series, while 44% of adults had received booster doses. In January 2023 the campaign was extended to include 5 to 11-year-olds. Thanks to the country’s strong efforts and high vaccination coverage, thousands of severe cases of COVID-19 were prevented, saving lives and allowing the economy to recover.

Key WHO Contributions

Providing technical support to update national response and vaccination plans and address vaccine hesitancy and misinformation
Successfully advocating for COVID-19 vaccines to be supplied through the COVAX mechanism
Training the workforce and procuring equipment to enable safe and effective vaccine delivery and safe reopening of schools, businesses, public venues and borders
Facilitating vaccination campaign performance monitoring to enable corrective action.

How did Seychelles, with the support of the WHO Secretariat, achieve this?

On 14 March 2020, Seychelles reported the first case of COVID-19, prompting WHO Seychelles to strengthen its existing team of readiness and response experts by adding two data managers, three epidemiologists, a risk communication and community engagement (RCCE) specialist, a logistician, a lab specialist, two infection prevention and control specialists and an expert in the continuity of essential health services. Alongside the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Disaster Risk Management Division (DRMD), the team provided technical advice to update Seychelles’ national response plans. The pandemic and travel ban led to an economic downturn: gross domestic product (GDP) fell from 3.1% in 2019 to -7.7% in 2020. Grocery stores were depleted and key industries such as fisheries struggled to survive. Although there was palpable fear about whether the country would navigate the crisis, public health and social measures proved successful in preventing community transmission between March and November.

“WHO is proud to have been acknowledged for being there alongside the government as they navigated difficult decisions, within a context of limited availability of evidence during that unprecedented time. The appreciation from the President and other officials for WHO's presence is inspiring, and we are truly humbled to have had the opportunity to provide support”
- Dr Rex Gadama Mpazanje, WHO Representative, Seychelles

In late 2020, as the Delta variant began to spread and transmission increased, Seychelles prioritized vaccination as a key strategy. The government finalized the national vaccination plan based on WHO’s Guidance on developing a national deployment and vaccination plan for COVID-19 vaccines and used the momentum generated during the election campaign to launch a social movement for vaccination. WHO was instrumental in building the capacity of health and safety officers, allowing the safe reopening of businesses, public venues and borders, and the resumption of normal activities.

Seychelles’ vaccine access was initially limited, but the government secured a Sinopharm donation and the President of Seychelles and WHO advocated in the diplomatic community for more vaccines through the COVAX initiative. WHO trained health workers, data collectors and logisticians, and procured and provided vaccine refrigerators to the MOH to enable safe and effective vaccine delivery.

^{Leading by example: the President of the Seychelles was the first client to receive a COVID-19 vaccine on the day of the vaccination campaign launch.}Photo credit: Ministry of Health, Seychelles.

Seychelles became the first African nation to launch a COVID-19 vaccination campaign on 10 January 2021. To assist the country in achieving its goal of immunizing more than 70% of the population by June 2021, WHO linked the national immunization technical advisory group (NITAG) to its Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) and facilitated performance monitoring of the vaccination campaign using routine data and supportive supervision. This allowed for timely gap identification and corrective measures. COVAX vaccines arrived in the country in December 2021, further advancing the vaccination campaign.

To address vaccine hesitancy and misinformation, WHO provided technical assistance to prepare the country’s Risk Communication Plan, adapt WHO’s global information, education and communication (IEC) materials to the local context, and set up a toll-free phone line (141). Throughout the campaign, Seychelles leaders took a very visible role with the President and First Lady setting the tone for the entire nation by being the first and second to be publicly vaccinated, with the former President following—all of which united the nation and encouraged vaccination uptake.

This overwhelming response from the population to follow the country’s leaders and get vaccinated enabled Seychelles to reopen public services and tourism, jump-starting economic growth. Driven by tourism and fisheries, GDP rebounded to an estimated 7.9% in 2021.

In April 2022, Seychelles surpassed its 70% vaccination global target. By October 2022, 82% of adults had received the primary vaccine series with 44% receiving booster doses. To prepare for schools reopening the vaccination campaign was extended to 12 to 17-year-olds in September 2021. To ensure safety, the Ministry of Education implemented infection surveillance, prevention and control strategies, with WHO providing technical support. In October 2022, 69.7% of 12 to 17-year-olds were vaccinated and 5 to 11-year-olds were included in the campaign in January 2023.

The country achieved the vaccination coverage target quickly which prevented severe COVID-19 cases and maintained a case fatality rate (CFR) below 0.4%, despite the risks posed by an ageing population and noncommunicable diseases. When the Delta variant caused the CFR to spike to 0.5% in December 2021 the country introduced a booster dose rollout, reducing the CFR back to below 0.4%.

Health care workers heroically rose to the challenge of COVID-19 in the face of burnout and fatigue. Their efforts, combined with Seychelles’ exemplary leadership, strategic planning and communication enabled the nation to successfully face the crisis and unite despite adversity.