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Government has said the Covid-19 vaccine rollout framework is now complete and the resources for the procurement of the drugs have been mobilised.

President Mnangagwa said on Friday that the Covid-19 vaccination framework has been developed and finalised for the rollout of the vaccine.

He has said the first phase of the vaccination will prioritise frontline workers, the elderly and those with underlying conditions.

The country expects its first batch of Covid-19 vaccines this week. Some sections of the private media and social media are already throwing spanners in the works by disseminating false information regarding the vaccine rollout programme.

The private media, as expected, deliberately wants to cause confusion and panic over Zimbabwe’s vaccination programme.

It is time the media plays its critical role of disseminating correct information to assist the people to make informed decisions as opposed to misleading them. The media can build or destroy a nation hence the need for the media to be very responsible especially when handling information to do with people’s lives.

The prophets of doom are deliberately pushing this misleading misconception that the Government is not sure which vaccine it intends to procure yet it has made it clear that it is purchasing Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine which has 76 to 86 percent efficacy and has been endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

These purveyors of lies are committing crimes against humanity by deliberately misleading the nation ahead of this important Covid-19 vaccine rollout programme which is supposed to save lives.

We are not against the media interrogating information but the media should ensure that whatever information is disseminated is factually correct.

The people depend on the media for information hence the media should be a source of correct information.

Government when rolling out the programme looks up to the media to assist in mobilising the people to participate in the vaccination.

The media should therefore not allow itself to be abused by individuals who have a political agenda to deliberately cause unnecessary confusion.

We however encourage the media to continue seeking new information that could assist in perfecting the way the country rolls out its vaccine programme.

The social media should not be used to peddle falsehoods but should instead be a very useful tool to disseminate information to reach as many people including those in remote areas given that many people now have cellphones.