Chronicle Editor
Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu, Health Reporter
BULAWAYO has recorded an overwhelming increase in demand for Covid-19 vaccination which has left the province with no supplies of the first dose.
The Government is working on restocking the vaccines by the end of this week, Bulawayo provincial medical director Dr Welcome Mlilo said yesterday.
The province has taken the lead in heeding the call by President Mnangagwa and medical experts to get as many people as possible inoculated so that the country achieves herd immunity.
This comes at a time when Zimbabwe has been hailed for leading in terms of Covid-19 vaccination.
Zimbabwe is among the few countries that started using the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine in February following a nod from local scientists.
The roll-out which started on February 18 was conducted after an all-scientific process by local scientists and experts to ascertain the efficacy of the Sinopharm vaccine, which was confirmed to be at 79 percent.
As at Monday, Zimbabwe had 38 696 confirmed cases of Covid-19, including 36 471 recoveries and 1 586 deaths.
To date, a total of 633 635 people have been vaccinated against Covid-19 and the country aims to vaccinate about 10 million to reach herd immunity against the deadly disease.
Statistics from Our World in Data, an online research and data platform show that Zimbabwe has been on an upward trend since starting vaccinations.
The organisation estimates that the country has inoculated at least 3,5 percent of its population of about 14.5 million people, the highest vaccination rate in the region.
Since the roll-out, Bulawayo province has recorded a growing demand for the jab and from last week members of the public were struggling to get the first jab.
Dr Mlilo said most provinces are yet to use up their allocations unlike in Bulawayo where only those in need of the second dose are being attended to.
He said the Government was seized with the matter and by the end of this week, members of the public will be able to access the first dose from the over 30 points scattered around Bulawayo.
“It is true we have run out of dose one vaccines and as such, we have suspended dose one vaccination provisionally until we take delivery of the next consignment of vaccines.
“The Ministry has communicated that we should expect delivery of vaccines in the next few days and we will update the public once these arrive,” said Dr Mlilo.
He urged members of the public to be patient and not let the shortage derail them from their wish to help Zimbabwe achieve herd immunity.
“We have been serving an overwhelming number of residents who heeded the call by our leaders and came in numbers to get inoculated. I am proud to say our first doses have run out because of the high uptake of the vaccine in Bulawayo as this challenge is not yet experienced in other provinces,” said Dr Mlilo.
“Those due for dose two must visit our vaccination points as scheduled as these vaccines are available and continue to be administered.” @thamamoe
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