Feb, 22nd 2021 – Zimbabwe is set to begin vaccinating against COVID-19 on Thursday starting with health workers and other essential service personnel, as stated by the cabinet. The country has today received 200,000 doses of the sinopharm vaccine donated by China.
The country says it has bought 600,000 more doses of the vaccine due for delivery in early March and is aiming to procure vaccines from Russia and through the COVAX facility, being coordinated by the World Health Organisation, and the global vaccine alliance on behalf of poorer countries.
The country’s Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga was the first one to receive a jab of the vaccine last week Thursday on live Television. Chimwega said, “The marked decline in new cases is vividly heralding the end of the second wave of the pandemic.”
Zimbabwe aims to vaccinate 10 million people and is still sourcing other vaccines to achieve this target. Their target represents 60 percent the country’s population. Health officials say that they will achieve herd immunity.
After a Cabinet meeting, the Harare Government in a statement said, “The vaccination program commences on February 18, 2021, on a voluntary basis, and will be free.”
However, according to a new study, the new strain that was first detected in South Africa in December is also present in neighboring Zimbabwe. The new strain is showing up in 61 percent of all the Covid-19 cases.
Zimbabwe has so far reported more than 35 000 Covid-19 cases and 1 410 deaths.