The Sunday News
Harare Bureau
THE National Covid-19 Vaccination Programme will receive a major boost this week when the country takes delivery a new batch of 500 000 vaccine doses procured by Government from Chinese pharmaceutical giant, Sinopharm.
Increased demand for vaccines, since the onset of the winter season, has caused vaccine stock-outs at some immunisation centres, threatening to derail the programme, which was being touted as the most effective on mainland southern Africa.
The sporadic vaccine shortages have coincided with an upsurge in new Covid-19 cases countrywide, forcing authorities to reintroduce stricter national and localised lockdowns in districts with high infection rates.
Zimbabwe moved into a Level Four national lockdown last week, which includes a reduction in working hours and a blanket ban on social and sporting gatherings among other restrictions. A significant proportion of the new batch of vaccines will immediately be deployed to these districts where infections are rising.
The incoming consignment is expected to inject impetus into the vaccination programme, and hasten the country’s attainment of national head immunity. Deputy Minister for Health and Child Care, Dr John Mangwiro told our Harare Bureau that distribution priority will be given to centres where appetite for inoculation is high.
“Next week (this week) we are receiving another batch of vaccines. I cannot confirm the amount now but we will soon make that public. We always use our statistics to guide the distribution process. We will be targeting the hotspots areas like Kariba, Kwekwe and Hurungwe which are currently on lockdown. Government is also redistributing vaccines to cater for areas that have been left behind. We understand that there are some centres that have not used all the vaccines they received so we are redistributing those to areas that have shortages.”
Chief Co-ordinator of the National Response to the Covid-19 pandemic in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Dr Agnes Mahomva said: “We purchased these vaccines and we are expecting them anytime this month.”
Speaking recently during a post-Cabinet media briefing, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said: “Regarding vaccine procurement, the public is informed that delivery of the 500 000 Sinopharm vaccine doses which were ordered from China is expected in June 2021.”
Treasury has set aside US$10 million to procure Covid-19 vaccines, with over 1,2 million Sinovac vaccines having already been delivered from China. Government has also received donations of 400 000 Sinopharm vaccines from the Chinese government and an additional 35 000 from the government of India.
The Zimbabwe Defence Forces has received a donation of 100 000 Sinopharm doses from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The world’s largest diamond producer, Alrosa, which has operations in Zimbabwe, last week delivered a consignment of 25 000 doses of the Russian manufactured vaccine — Sputnik V — with additional doses of an equal amount set to be delivered soon.
