The Covid-19 vaccine roll-out would be done by between one
and two teams made up of five people per district depending on its size.
This was said by Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who
is also the Health and Child Care Minister, in the National Assembly yesterday.
VP Chiwenga briefed parliamentarians on various issues
concerning the vaccination campaign including distribution and storage
mechanisms, budgets, training of personnel and safety of the vaccines.
He said the vaccination programme would be done within
three phases with the first one expected to commence tomorrow.
The first phase will comprise of two stages; the first one
targeting frontline workers while the second stage will target the elderly and
those with underlying conditions.
The total budget for the vaccination programme is US$6 778
777 million. Under the plan, Harare would be allocated 11 teams for the first
phase, Bulawayo four teams and Chitungwiza two teams.
“The assumption is vaccination will be conducted over 10
days in the first round and five days in the second round.
“Supervisors drawn from head office, provinces and all
districts will monitor planning, implementation and outcomes,” he said.
VP Chiwenga said the Health ministry had already begun the
training of trainers in all provinces and districts and they would in turn
train all personnel at various service centres.
“Areas of training will include vaccine storage,
communications, surveillance, vaccination monitoring and evaluation and waste
management,” he said.
The VP said the vaccines would be distributed across the
country following existing structures for other vaccines, which is from head
office to the 10 provinces then to the 63 districts and the more than 1 800
service centres.
VP Chiwenga said a national virtual launch of the
vaccination campaign would be done while promotional material using all forms
of media had been designed.
Following the arrival of the Sinopham vaccine donated by China
on Monday, other consignments are expected to arrive in the country at two to
three weeks’ intervals.
All the vaccines to be procured will undergo rigorous tests
to ascertain their efficacy. Herald
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