Zim ramps-up Covid-19 vaccination

Lumbidzani Dima, Chronicle Reporter
ZIMBABWE continues to ramp up vaccination to reach its herd immunity target by year-end with calls for unvaccinated members of the public to get their jabs.

The country is targeting to vaccinate 60 percent of the population, which is 10 million people, to achieve herd immunity.

As of Tuesday, a total of 3 966 929 people had received their first dose of the vaccine while 2 988 370 had been fully vaccinated in the country.

There has been concern over the low numbers of people getting vaccinations with the Government warning against vaccination hesitancy and lowering of guard on Covid-19 prevention measures as the country battles the pandemic’s fourth wave.

At the peak of the third wave in July, the country had over 100 000 citizens getting inoculated against Covid-19 on a daily basis.

Vaccination centers were being overwhelmed by citizens who wanted to vaccinate, and in some areas, residents would join queues as early as 4AM.

But after the country emerged from the third wave, the vaccination uptake drastically decreased and most vaccination centres are now almost empty. In an interview, National Covid-19 co-ordinator Dr Agnes Mahomva said the country is still pushing towards its herd immunity goal.

“With these three weeks left before the year ends, Zimbabwe continues to ramp up vaccination to reach high population coverage and hence protect the nation.

The current vaccine uptake needs to go up. Individuals and communities are urged to come out in their numbers and get vaccinated.

It’s for their protection and not to please anyone,” said Dr Mahomva.

She said the main challenges leading to the low uptake of the vaccine include people thinking they are already safe and do not need the vaccine.

Dr Mahomva said fake news about the vaccine has also contributed towards people shunning the vaccine as some tend to wrongly believe the myths that are spreading.

She said one of the main strategies being implemented to achieve the herd immunity is going around schools vaccinating the 16 to 17 age group which started last month.

“The Ministry of Health is working very closely with the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education to get more 16 to 17-year-olds vaccinated, as well as pregnant women.

The Zimbabwe ambitious vaccine target is meant to help us stay focused for our protection.

All eligible people simply need to come out in their numbers and get vaccinated,” said Dr Mahomva.

Recently, Bulawayo Provincial Medical Director Dr Maphios Siamuchembu urged people to get vaccinated to help fight the spread of the coronavirus and protect themselves.

“The largest weapon we have scientifically at the moment is vaccination.

I continue to urge Bulawayo residents to get vaccinated.

Although vaccination doesn’t stop the transmission of the virus, it reduces the severity of the disease, hospital admission and of course the number of deaths,” he said.

Zimbabwe is one of the few African countries that reached the global goal of fully vaccinating 10% the country’s population by September 30.