The Sunday Mail
Sunday Mail Reporter
The Government will ramp up the Covid-19 vaccination programme, with a nationwide immunisation campaign set to commence this week in an effort to boost the national herd immunity ahead of the anticipated influx of people into the country during the forthcoming festive season.
Presently, at least 58 percent of all Zimbabweans who qualify for vaccination have received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, with the authorities now set to roll out a blitz aimed at increasing the number of people who have been vaccinated.
In an interview yesterday, chief co-ordinator of the national response to the Covid-19 pandemic in the Office of the President and Cabinet Dr Agnes Mahomva said new variants of the virus being discovered in neighbouring countries pose a risk to the country.
“People think we are out of the woods in terms of Covid-19. However, that is not the case,” she said.
“Botswana recently recorded Omicron sub-variants.
“We are getting into the festive season, and this is the time when we have people from the Diaspora coming back into the country.
“So, we want to target everyone who has not been vaccinated, whether it is the first, second or third dose.
“We want everyone to be vaccinated.”
She said achieving herd immunity will ensure that future outbreaks are prevented.
“Our herd immunity stands at 58,5 percent,” she said.
“Although it is higher compared to some countries in the region, we want to continue vaccinating people.”
She said the forthcoming vaccination blitz was a continuation “of the vaccination programme that has been ongoing”.
The campaign, she added, “will run concurrently with the polio vaccination campaign, so that when parents come with their children for the polio vaccine, they can also get Covid-19 vaccines.”
Addressing last week’s post-Cabinet briefing, acting Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Dr Jenfan Muswere said: “Cabinet agreed that all Ministers will lead teams to all provinces across the country to ramp up vaccination uptake, with special focus on Harare, where the vaccination levels are low, and other provinces such as the Midlands and Mashonaland West, where the second dose vaccination levels are low as well.
