THE Government is set to vaccinate at least 80 percent of the population once negotiations with potential suppliers of the vaccine, China, Russia and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have been completed.
China, which developed its own vaccine and has already
started vaccinating its entire population, has already listed Zimbabwe as one
of the countries which it intends to assist with the vaccine. Health and Child
Care Principal Director, Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Dr Robert
Mudyiradima, who is in charge of the vaccination programme said Government had
already agreed to take the vaccine and all the necessary resources have been
made available.
Dr Mudyiradima said the country intends to vaccinate at
least 80 percent of the population once the vaccine is made available. This
translates to at least 11,2 million doses of the vaccine out of a population of
about 14,65 million.
“We are in negotiations with China, Russia and the World
Health Organisations (WHO) so that we get the vaccine. As Government we have
already decided to take the vaccine and it’s not a matter of if, but when and
which one, we are going to use. We need to vaccinate at least 80 percent of the
population initially. We will however, eventually vaccinate everyone. We have
been informed by the financier that all the resources we need are available,”
he said.
Dr Mudyiradima said Government was waiting for official
communication from the African Union (AU) on the vaccine that is said to have
been facilitated by the continental block with the assistance of Afrieximbank.
“We only learnt of that development through the media. We
are waiting for official communication from the African Union,” he said.
Zimbabwe has adopted a measured approach where experts are
interrogating all safety concerns over the vaccination against Covid-19 which
will be done on a voluntary basis. In a statement on Friday, the Minister of
Health and Child Care, Vice-President General (Retired) Dr Constantino Chiwenga
said the Government was doing everything possible to ensure that citizens were
safe from possible side effects of some newly introduced Covid-19 vaccines.
He said the vaccination will be only rolled out to citizens
on a voluntary basis once all the technical and administrative obligations are
met.
“I am also aware that some of our citizens are anxious to
get vaccinated. The Government is following the development and dissemination
of Covid-19 vaccines by other states, with keen interest. Despite the
observations made that other African, European and Asian countries had started
rolling out vaccines, Zimbabwe adopted a measured approach, with experts
interrogating all safety concerns. As soon as all technical and administrative
obligations are met, Zimbabweans can expect to be vaccinated.
The vaccination is going to be voluntary. Let me underscore
that my ministry is doing everything possible to ensure that our citizens are
safe from possible side effects of some Covid-19 vaccines, currently on the
shelf,” he said. Sunday News
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