The Sunday News
THE United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (Unicef) says vaccines for Covid-19 are critical tools for helping bring the pandemic under control when combined with effective testing and existing prevention measures.
It adds that with several promising vaccine candidates in the pipeline, some under review for approval and the Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines approved for use by a number of stringent national regulatory bodies, the race for a safe and effective vaccine has entered into a new phase.
Of note is the fact that the threat to children posed by Covid-19 is enormous, extending far beyond the immediate physical effects of the disease. As lockdown restrictions continue or are re-imposed, children’s access to essential health services may be seriously affected. The resulting reductions in routine healthcare coverage levels and a looming recession are threatening the health and the future of a generation of children, says Unicef.
Children are a key component of the population and they need all the attention and care. However, their safety is heavily dependent on how the adult population behaves under the Covid-19 climate and how treatment and vaccination against the disease is going to be done.
We note that the country has made tremendous strikes to bring the pandemic under control, with positive cases now on the decline and the number of deaths as well, thanks to the reinforced lockdown at the beginning of last month. In addition, the Government has also set in motion a plan to procure vaccines and inoculate 60 percent of the population.
In addition, the vaccination programme, expected to start soon with the first batch of the vaccine expected in the country this week, is a sure way of taking the country back to its normal cycle. This was reiterated by President Mnangagwa last Thursday.
The pandemic has disrupted normal life as members of the public are now expected to wear face masks before leaving their home, practice social distancing and constant temperature checks and washing of hands as means of preventing the spread of Covid-19. There has also been a ban of public gatherings, closure of some businesses and academic institutions. Posting on his Twitter social media platform, President Mnangagwa said Government was focused on providing vaccination to the country’s citizens.
“Life can only return to normality once the majority of Zimbabweans have been vaccinated. This is the ultimate goal.
Thank you to both China and Russia for their donation of Covid-19 vaccines to the people of Zimbabwe. Your generosity during this dark time will not be forgotten,” tweeted President Mnangagwa.
The President is also on record as saying vaccine will be free.
“The National Vaccination Strategy will continue to be guided by the best available scientific evidence and the safety of all Zimbabweans remaining a priority. A National vaccine deployment framework has also been finalised. The initial objective is to inoculate at least 60 percent of the population to achieve population immunity. The first phase of inoculation of inoculation of the vaccine will see our hard working frontline workers, the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions being prioritised.”
