Vaccine uptake increases

Chronicle Reporters
THE first phase of the ongoing Covid-19 vaccination programme rolled out by Government following the arrival of the first consignment of 200 000 doses donated by China is progressing well across the Matabeleland region and Midlands with the uptake steadily increasing daily.

The immunisation programme, which is free and voluntary, is targeting 10 million people in three phases to complete the exercise.

In Bulawayo, acting provincial medical director Dr Welcome Mlilo said although the uptake started on a low note, the number of frontline workers taking the jab has increased tremendously. Statistics were, however, not readily available.

“The uptake was slow initially because the launch was during the holiday, but now the figures have gone up. We have four teams for Bulawayo and three are working from the three static sites which are Mpilo Central Hospital, United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) and Ingutsheni Central Hospital while the fourth team is mobile,” he said.

Once a person gets the first dose, they wait for 28 days to get the second jab.

Bulawayo received 13 200 doses under the first phase, which is targeting to vaccinate 6 600 frontline health workers, including journalists.

Medical expert, Dr Rita Dlodlo said it is important for citizens to get vaccinated to boost their immunity from Covid-19.

“Vaccination protects you against moderate and severe forms of Covid-19 disease. It boosts your immunity and makes you ready in case you get infected,” she said.

“We also wish that it will decrease the risk of dying from Covid-19 as well as in the future transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.”

Dr Dlodlo said it takes up to two weeks for antibody levels to rise from the pre-vaccination levels after the first dose has been administered.

She said the second dose is recommended in order to boost those antibody levels that would have been reached after the first vaccination.

“The idea is that it would have a long-lasting duration of protection than just after only one dose and therefore most vaccines require two doses. However, the Johnson and Johnson vaccine that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved this Sunday requires only one dose,” said Dr Dlodlo.

“The number of doses required depends on the type of vaccine, but at the moment most Covid-19 vaccines require two doses.”

In Matabeleland North, the vaccination programme has been going on smoothly with health authorities saying uptake has improved going into the second week of the roll out.

Acting Matabeleland North, provincial medical director Dr Munekayi Padingani said there have been no cases of reaction to the vaccine.

He said more than 2 000 people had been inoculated as of Monday against a provincial target of 4 025 for the first phase.

“The uptake has improved and many people are now asking for the vaccination. You would see that some who are asking for it are people whom we had not counted initially, meaning we will meet our target,” said Dr Padingani.

He said each district had come up with its own itinerary hence he did not have an update of which of the targeted frontline workers had been inoculated so far.

District teams had been attending to various sectors including health workers, security and border employees.
When the province rolled out the programme last Monday, there was low uptake with about 200 people getting jabbed on the first two days.

Dr Padingani said the situation has improved owing to awareness raised by the Ministry of Health and Child Care.
“The mistake that was there initially was that people had not been sensitised. Now the uptake is high and there have been no challenges associated with the vaccine to talk about,” he said.

In Matabeleland South, provincial medical director Dr Rudo Chikodzore said the vaccination programme was progressing well although the uptake started on a low note in most rural areas in the province’s seven districts.

The teams started vaccinating those in remote areas as they are regarded as most vulnerable due to the poor road and communication networks.

“The uptake has been very low in the last few days because our teams started in the outskirts where there were few people, but we have a sizeable number there who are at high risk. We expected the figures to peak at the end of the programme since the teams have moved into urban areas where the response is encouraging,” said Dr Chikodzore.

She said she would be able to provide exact figures today when they would have consolidated the figures from all districts.

The province received 11 000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine to cover 5 000 frontline workers including those working at Beitbridge, Mlambapele, Mphoengs, Maitengwe, and Plumtree border post.

Beitbridge and Gwanda which were classified under red zones received doses to cover 1 402 and 800 frontline workers respectively. In Gwanda, 318 people had been inoculated by the end of the day on Monday.

In the Midlands province, the Covid-19 vaccination programme is going on well with 1 895 people having been vaccinated as of Monday. Acting provincial medical director Dr Reginald Mhene said the programme was going on well across the province.

“As of Monday, a total of 1 895 front line workers had been vaccinated and the programme is going on well. Our target is 6 500,” he said.

Dr Mhene said the province received 13 800 doses of Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine.

He said the vaccination programme is taking place in Mberengwa, Kwekwe, Shurugwi, Zvishavane, Mvuma, Gokwe North and South and Gweru districts.

“Processes going on well but uptake is low due vaccine hesitancy as people want more information on the vaccine, safety concerns. They want to wait longer to see what happens to those vaccinated. We have intensified our health education and promotion activities in our health facilities,” he said.

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