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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
BULAWAYO’S Covid-19 mass vaccination programme is gaining momentum with over 2 800 vendors getting vaccinated in two days from a set target of 15 000 within 10 days.
When the mass vaccination programme started on Tuesday, 1 203 vendors received jabs while on Wednesday the number went up to 1 623.
Health officials are confident of vaccinating 15 000 vendors within the set timelines.
Since the province embarked on the mass vaccination programme, long winding queues have characterised the temporary vaccination sites dotted across the city.
The country is in the throes of the Covid-19 third wave and on Tuesday and Wednesday, Zimbabwe recorded over 2 000 new infections and deaths have also been rising.
Bulawayo has been classified among Covid-19 hotspots as Government imposed a national level four lockdown in trying to contain rising cases.
Acting Bulawayo provincial medical director Dr Welcome Mlilo said the mass vaccination programme has been moving without glitches.
Dr Mlilo said vaccination of vendors is part of Government’s segmentation of the roll out of the programme.
He dispelled claims that there were some vendors being turned away.
“When we were vaccinating frontliners, we just wanted individuals to prove that they are frontliners. Frontliners are different, others are nurses while some are in the NGO sector. We know that vendors who are registered with the council are just around 4 000 but because we are targeting all vendors that is why we are targeting 15 000 for the first dose. We know that the majority are not registered and we cater for them,” he said.
“We have always been confident that we would be able to meet our 15 000 target in 10 days because of our previous engagement with stakeholders. We know that people are now keen on getting the vaccine.”
Dr Mlilo said the success being recorded under the vaccination programme follows the engagement of leaders of vendors’ associations.
He said the delivery of two million vaccines yesterday was confirmation of the commitment that Government is making towards inoculating the majority of the population.
“This means that we are going to be able to step up our vaccination programme. The demand right now is really good and what we have been experiencing is a challenge with our supply chain. So, the arrival of two million doses means that we are going to have swift distribution of vaccines. It means we would be able to decentralise the vaccination to all our clinics to improve access,” he said.
A vendor, Ms Sithandazile Ncube from Thorngrove suburb, said it was important for vendors to embrace the vaccination programme to reduce the risk of contracting Covid-19.
“We operate outdoors and by interacting with so many people whom we don’t know where they are coming from, we are at high risk of contracting Covid-19. This is why I have taken up the vaccination programme. I have to be vaccinated to protect myself and others from the pandemic. I guess the risks that are involved are the ones that have drawn so many of us to come for vaccination,” said Ms Ncube.
Some vendors expressed concern that the queues were too long, and health officials were taking their time to attend to them.
They seemed not to understand the process that is undertaken when one comes to be vaccinated.
Prior to being jabbed, nurses explain to individuals what it means to be vaccinated and the type of vaccine being administered before they capture the person’s identity details.
Mr Nelson Ruzvi said he had spent 20 minutes in a queue but nothing was happening.
“Since I came nothing has been happening. We want to see movement of people but everything is just stagnant. Why can’t they deploy nurses from hospitals to come and attend to us,” said Mr Ruzvi, who did not even want to listen when told about the vaccination process.
“My views are the views of all the people here. We want to return to our work stations. They have to serve us very fast so that we can continue with our businesses,” he said.
Ms Margaret Hombedza said some vaccination centres were turning away vendors who are not licensed by Bulawayo City Council.
Her views were shared by Ms Catherine Moyo who said she was on council’s waiting list but is yet to be allocated a vending stall.
“Some of us have been on the council vending waiting list. We are still waiting to be allocated places where we should operate from that is why we have occupied the streets. So, if council now requires us to present our vending licences it is actually eliminating us from vending.
We also want to be vaccinated despite not having licences,” said Ms Moyo.-@nqotshili
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