daniel chigunwe
Health Reporter
More than 90 000 Zimbabweans have now gone for their Covid-19 booster shots as the national vaccination programme continues to be implemented, albeit at a much slower pace.
According to the Ministry of Health and Child Care daily report for Thursday, by that stage 92 522 people had received the third dose of the vaccines.
So far 3 359 094 second doses that have been administered. A total of 4 326 790 people have received their first dose.
Zimbabwe started administering the booster shots in December last year to frontline workers, people with chronic disease and the elderly when President Mnangagwa authorised the health authorities to start giving these third shots.
Booster shots are administered to remind the body’s immune system about the virus it needs to defend against, hence they give the immune system a boost.
For the vaccines being administered in Zimbabwe, the booster shot is administered at least six months after the second dose. For those who test positive to Covid-19, the dose is administered six months from the date they recovered.
Zimbabwe is buying its vaccines, but has received a major boost from the Chinese programme to back African vaccination to the hilt and has adequate stocks in store to vaccinate all eligible Zimbabweans, at the moment those aged 16 and above.
Last week, Cabinet resolved to increase the pace of the vaccination drive through implementation of vaccination campaign strategies aimed at targeting communities at provincial level.
With schools open, provinces were urged to ramp up vaccination among the 16 years and above age group which was incorporated into the programme last year.
“Treasury will release adequate funds to support vaccine risk communication and community engagement campaigns as well as the updated provincial vaccine strategies and micro plans that aim to ramp up vaccinations,” said Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa after this week’s Cabinet meeting.
Online Reporter