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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke
Health Reporter
While the ongoing vaccination exercise has been moving at a good pace, Zimbabweans have continued to face new concerns regarding the vaccines and the disease itself.
When the programme started in February, the information disseminated to the public said the Sinopharm doses, which were available at that time, were supposed to be administered four weeks apart.
But as more vaccines were made available, there citizens were confused when they started getting a different time frame for their second dose.
Besides the Sinopharm vaccine, the country is also using Sinovac, Sputnik V and Covaxin in the vaccination roll out.
Some of those getting the Sinovac dose say they were told to come for the second shot after two or three weeks instead of the four weeks that others were getting.
Should you get worried if you get your second dose after two weeks?
The answer is No.
According to the World Health Organisation strategic advisory group of experts (Sage), the Sinovac vaccine is recommended at an interval of two to four weeks between first and second dose.
“WHO recommends an interval of 2–4 weeks between the first and second dose. It is recommended that all vaccinated individuals receive two doses. If the second dose is administered less than 2 weeks after the first, the dose does not need to be repeated. If administration of the second dose is delayed beyond 4 weeks, it should be given at the earliest possible opportunity,” WHO said.
So it is still safe to get your vaccine doses two weeks apart.
Zimbabweans health officials are administering these vaccines according to the specifications from WHO and all vaccines continue to be safe for use within the specified timelines.
Another area that has remained unclear is the safety of the vaccines in pregnant and breastfeeding women. There have been cases of health workers turning away these groups at some centres despite communication from Government that they could so.
The vaccines being used in Zimbabwe are inactivated vaccines with a substance that enhances the immune system’s response to the presence of a virus that is commonly used in many other vaccines with a well-documented safety profile, such as Hepatitis B and Tetanus vaccines, including in pregnant women.
Online Reporter