By Staff Reporter
President Emmerson Mnangagwa yesterday received his first shot of the Chinese Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, a development that is expected to encourage more people to seek the Chinese vaccines, as the fight against the deadly pandemic continues.
President Mnangagwa got the jab in Victoria Falls, in a move which is meant to promote tourism and launch the second phase of the country's vaccination drive.
The event was attended by several opposition leaders including MDC-T president Douglas Mwonzora and LEAD leader Linda Tsungirirai Masarira who supported the launch.
Speaking in Victoria Falls, President Mnangagwa revealed that just over 44,000 people in Zimbabwe had been vaccinated so far, representing 68% of the target population for the first phase, describing the figure as showing “broad acceptance” of the Chinese vaccine.
President Mnangagwa said that the government made an exception in Victoria Falls, where it invited all of the town’s 110,000 residents to get inoculated in order to “pave the way for unlimited tourism activities” in the country’s prime attraction.
Posting on his Twitter handle after receiving the jab, the President encourage people to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
“I just received my COVID-19 vaccine. Zimbabweans, the vaccine is safe and effective. I urge you all to get your jab,” wrote the President.
Supporting the President’s move, First lady Amai Auxillia Mnangagwa commented on her Twitter handle also urging people to get vaccinated.
“Very proud of my husband today. The faster we are all vaccinated, the faster we return to normal. I urge you all to do your part and get the vaccine,” she said.
Masarira, soon after receiving her jab in Victoria Falls posted on her Twitter handle that “Leadership must demonstrate confidence in everything they do. How will you be able to lead vaccinated individuals when you are not vaccinated yourself? Definitely you become the reason for your subordinates’ discomfort.”
Zimbabwe's second phase is targeting schoolteachers, religious leaders, security forces, the elderly, and people with chronic diseases, said Mnangagwa.
The first phase of Zimbabwe's vaccination campaign, which relied on Sinopharm, targeted front-line workers such as health care workers, border officials, gravediggers, and journalists.
Zimbabwe purchased 200,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine which arrived from China earlier this month. China has also donated 400,000 The vaccines that Zimbabwean health authorities have approved for use include the Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines from China, Russia’s Sputnik-V, and India’s Covaxin, although only the Chinese vaccines have arrived in the country.
Zimbabwe aims to vaccinate 10 million of its people, representing 60% of the country’s population, in an effort to achieve herd immunity, which is when enough people have immunity, either from vaccination or past infection, to stop the uncontrolled spread of a virus.
Zimbabwe has recorded 36,717 cases of infection, including 1,516 deaths as of March 23, according to the Health Ministry.
