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Nqobile Tshili, Chronicle Reporter
ZIMBABWE has started administering Covid-19 booster shots for frontline workers who were vaccinated more than six months ago to increase their immunity against the deadly pandemic.

The booster shot administration comes at a time when the country is recording an increase in Covid-19 deaths and infections.

On Tuesday, 32 people succumbed to Covid-19 while 2 099 infections were recorded. The previous day 17 died from Covid-19 related complications while 3 416 new cases were recorded.

Earlier this month President Mnangagwa announced that the country had procured enough vaccines to enable it to administer booster shots to eligible citizens.

Zimbabwe is targeting to vaccine at least 10 million citizens to achieve herd immunity.
The figures as of yesterday indicated that 4,1 million citizens had received their first dose while 3,1 million have received their second jab.

The low figures have been blamed on scepticism regarding the efficacy of the vaccines.

In a daily Covid-19 report released on Tuesday, the Ministry of Health and Child Care said 3 993 people had received the booster shots.

Bulawayo Provincial Medical Director Dr Maphios Siamuchembu said the province started the booster vaccination last week.

“As soon the Permanent Secretary approved the Standard Operating Procedures which was last week, we started administering the booster shots. We, however, are not emphasising on the booster shots because we are still far from achieving herd immunity,” said Dr Siamuchembu.

He said the same vaccine administered for the individual’s first and second jab, will be administered for the booster shot.
“Frontline workers who got fully vaccinated about six months ago are the ones who are eligible. They are getting the same vaccine that they got for their first and second doses,” said Dr Siamuchembu.

This means that someone who got the Sinovac vaccine, will get that as a booster and the one who got Sinopharm will also get a Sinopharm booster.

The Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe (MCAZ) approved the use of Sinopharm and Sinovac from China, Covaxin from India and Russia’s Sputnik V.

Dr Siamuchembu urged those who have not been vaccinated to get vaccinated as the country pushes to reach herd immunity.

He said the vaccines were available at public hospitals, clinics and private surgeries.

“We don’t have new strategies for booster vaccination as the booster vaccination is running concurrently with vaccination for the first and second jab at our health facilities. When schools reopen we will go out to schools and reach out to those who are 16 years and above. We are still going to colleges and we are still sending messages to every citizen who has not been vaccinated to get inoculated,” said Dr Siamuchembu.

Bulawayo City Council (BCC) Health Services director Dr Edwin Sibanda said the city’s health department is following vaccination protocols that were issued by the Ministry of Health and Child Care as it administers the booster shots.

He said while the country might not have achieved herd immunity, milestones have been achieved in the vaccination programme.

Dr Sibanda said people coming for the booster shots are a confirmation that the vaccines are safe and this should persuade those yet to be vaccinated to come forward and get vaccinated.

“Some of us who were among the first to be vaccinated are still alive and we feel protected. We have not had any side effects which confirms that the vaccines are very safe,” said Dr Sibanda.

He said while the country might not have reached herd immunity, he believes that individuals that contracted the virus and recovered now have a strong immunity against the pandemic.

“You must also appreciate that immunity is not always 100 percent but many who were infected recovered confirming their immunity is strong,” he said.

Commenting on the booster shots recently, Zimbabwe Medical Association (ZiMA) president Dr Francis Chiwora said vaccines fade away over time hence booster shots are necessary.

“If you get vaccinated it stimulates the immunity to a certain level but with passage of time, that immunity tends to wear off. It’s like someone who has taken food or a drink.

Let’s say beer for instance, if someone drinks alcohol the levels in the blood goes up to a certain level but with passage of time, it wears off until it is not there. When you get a booster, your immunity levels are boosted,” said Dr Chiwora. – @nqotshili.