Chronicle Editor
A report that most new Covid-19 cases recorded in the country lately involve unvaccinated people asserts what science had been telling us over the past two or so months.
Most vaccines do not prevent a person from being infected by a pathogen against which the inoculation is given, but when one does get infected, the vaccine helps that individual from getting seriously ill as a result of the infection. A vaccine also prevents death in almost all people who get it in the event they get infected.
However, research conducted in some countries over the past two months of the Covid-19 pandemic has indicated that vaccines being administered have performed beyond expectations. The studies show that Covid-19 vaccines are proving effective at keeping a vaccinated person from getting Covid-19.
Zimbabwe has been mainly using two Chinese vaccines – Sinopharm and Sinovac with fewer doses of Sputnik V from Russia and Covaxin from India being used as well. By Monday, a total of 703 065 people had received their first of two doses of Covid-19 in the country. By the same day, 435 668 citizens had been fully vaccinated having got both doses since the national vaccination campaign started in February.
According to findings released last month, two vaccines from China’s Sinopharm showed more than 70 percent efficacy, defined as the degree to which a vaccine prevents disease, and possibly also transmission.
A vaccine developed by a Sinopharm subsidiary was 72.8 percent effective against symptomatic Covid-19 at least two weeks after second injection. Another vaccine developed by Sinopharm, which last month obtained emergency use approval by UN, showed a 78.1 percent efficacy.
Research conducted by the Gamaleya National Research Centre of Epidemiology and Microbiology and the Russian Direct Investment Fund established that the Sputnik V showed a 97,6 percent efficacy.
In 6.5 million residents of Israel, aged 16 years and older, the Pfizer–BioNTech mRNA Covid-19 vaccine was found to be 95.3 percent effective after both shots.
Within two months, among the 4.7 million fully vaccinated, the detectable infections fell by 30-fold. In the US, about 0.05 percent of fully vaccinated health care workers tested positive for Covid-19.
The foregoing is clear evidence that a person who is fully vaccinated against Covid-19 has a strong chance of resisting infection.
Our Harare Bureau yesterday quoted Child Care Deputy Minister, Dr John Mangwiro saying:
“The positive cases we are getting are mostly those who are not vaccinated, and we are finding out that most of them are asymptomatic.
The hotspots are mainly Mashonaland West, Bulawayo, and Manicaland.
“Mass vaccination in border towns had been critical with low cases in those areas. Fortunately, our border towns like Victoria Falls where we had our first mass vaccination the uptake was good. I was talking to Dr Mamvura, the District Medical Officer for Victoria Falls, and his cases are quite low, about six. Also Plumtree did a massive campaign to vaccinate, and so figures are very low. You can see that vaccination is an advantage and we encourage people to get vaccinated.”
Covid-19 infections and deaths have been increasing over the past two weeks, forcing the Government to tighten preventive measures nationally and imposing stricter localised lockdowns in places like Kwekwe, Karoi, Kariba and Makonde.
Backed by scientific evidence from abroad and Dr Mangwiro’s remarks, we feel none of us must need any convincing to getting the jab against Covid-19 as soon as they possibly can.
The evidence comes as some citizens have been resisting immunisation, making unsubstantiated claims that a jab can harm them instead of protecting them against this potentially lethal disease. We draw the attention of such people to the scientific evidence available and the Government’s indication that a vaccine is capable of preventing infection.
These people must take advantage of the ongoing vaccination programme to get jabbed thus stand a credible chance to remain uninfected by the coronavirus instead of dithering only to be infected and sickened by the virus.
Online Reporter