Zimpapers Logo

Phase one of the national immunisation campaign against Covid-19 started yesterday with Vice-President and Health and Child Care Minister, Dr Constantino Chiwenga getting the first jab at Harare’s Wilkins Infectious Diseases Hospital.

Immediately after VP Chiwenga got the jab, President Mnangagwa lauded him for volunteering to be the first person in the country to be inoculated against Covid-19.

“Thank you to Vice President and Health Minister Constantino Chiwenga for showing Zimbabwe that this vaccine is safe for all our people. This is a historic moment in our country’s fight against this virus,” the President tweeted.

The moment at Wilkins Hospital was historic as it marked the beginning of the national campaign as the country takes its fight against the coronavirus to another level.

On Monday, the country took delivery of the Sinopharm vaccine donated by China. Two hundred thousand doses were made available with 600 000 more to be bought from China. The Government aims to immunise 10 million people so that the country can attain herd immunity against Covid-19.

We however, regret that some among us, through ignorance or mischief have been casting aspersions on the Sinopharm vaccine. Some are fearful that a jab can make them sick, while others have been mischievously questioning its strength against the virus and making many other unfounded statements. This is despite the fact that up to 10 countries have been inoculating their people using the vaccine.

Now with VP Chiwenga getting the injection, we are confident that the ignorant now know that the vaccine is safe. With the VP getting the injection, we are hopeful that the mischief makers would have nothing else to say against the vaccine.

Speaking after his inoculation, the VP assured the people that local tests were done on the vaccine being administered in the country and they showed that it had an efficacy rate of more than 79 percent

“The marked decline in new cases of Covid-19 is vividly heralding the end of the second wave of the pandemic,” he said. “Despite the slump, the Government of Zimbabwe adopted a second line of defence to augment preventative measures to combat Covid-19. The second layer of defence is the procurement and roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines. —

My ministry has conducted all scientific processes to ascertain the efficacy of the Sinopharm vaccine which was confirmed to be 79 percent.

“My presence here today, with some Ministry of Health officials, including my deputy, is to exhibit the Government’s confidence in the Sinopharm vaccine. I have received my Covid-19 vaccine together with my deputy minister and my staff, therefore I urge all Zimbabweans to be vaccinated at their nearest health centre.”

More Covid-19 vaccines were expected in the country until the required quantities were achieved in the shortest possible time, he said.

VP Chiwenga said the vaccines would be taken to the provinces ahead of a nationwide vaccination programme starting on Monday.

We, as the VP said yesterday, urge our people to volunteer for immunisation as this is a surer way through which the country can defeat the disease that has infected and killed so many of us.

Also, the President spoke yesterday stressing that the fact that VP Chiwenga had been inoculated, was evidence that the vaccine was safe. If the people decide not to volunteer for immunisation, there is a risk that they can be sickened, even be killed by the disease in future.