The Sunday Mail
Veronica Gwaze
While some people were initially reluctant to take the coronavirus vaccine, the third wave of the pandemic, which has seen soaring deaths and infections, has resulted in a flood of people seeking the life-saving jabs at vaccination centres across the country.
But increased misinformation and disinformation spread by social media platforms is causing confusion about the vaccines.
It has since emerged that growing anxiety over fatalities suspected to be caused by the new coronavirus variants is driving some individuals who are already fully vaccinated to consider taking the jab again with the assumption that it will offer an extra layer of protection.
“I deal with a lot of people on a daily basis, hence I need to take extra measures for me to stay safe. I got my full Sinopharm vaccination when the ongoing programme started.
‘‘However, I am considering taking another, but different, Covid-19 vaccination to improve my chances of not getting infected,” said Emily Munemo, a Chitungwiza-based vendor and mother of three who operates a fruit and vegetable stall.
However, chief co-ordinator of the National Response to the Covid-19 pandemic in the Office of the President and Cabinet, Dr Agnes Mahomva, warned against double vaccinations.
“Being vaccinated twice is an overdose and can cause serious health complications. People should follow instructions from health experts because they were crafted after a series of research.
‘‘When you overdose through double vaccination, you are not boosting your immune system but creating problems for yourself,” said Dr Mahomva.
It is believed that there are no health complications in delays in getting a second jab.
“The reason one has to get a second jab within the stipulated time is that one needs to be fully protected as early as possible, so the longer the process takes, the greater the risk of being seriously infected. The 28 days window period between the two shots are calculated to keep you safe,” she said.
A growing body of scientific knowledge seems to suggest that those fully vaccinated get protection for up to a year.
It is critically important, Dr Mahomva added, for those that get the jab to continue observing World Health Organisation (WHO) Covid-19 guidelines such as masking up, social distancing and sanitising all the time.
People waiting to take the coronavirus vaccine
“These are new advanced vaccines and research is still being conducted to ascertain after how long one can then need a booster. But for now, a single full dose vaccination will be good.”
Scientists attribute the current worrying increase in deaths and infections to the delta variant — first detected in India — which has been classified as a “variant of concern”.
On Wednesday, Zimbabwe recorded 2 264 new cases and 34 deaths — its worst single-day increase since the first case was reported March last year.
Fatalities further rose to 56 people on Thursday. The Government has since increased the pace of vaccinations. By Thursday, 848 808 people had received the first dose of the vaccine, while 584 770 people had been fully vaccinated. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), vaccines train the immune system to create proteins known as antibodies that fight diseases.
They, however, not only protect from getting the disease, but break the chain of transmission.
Absconding
While health authorities recommend two doses of the vaccine, there are reports some individuals are not seeking the second jab.
A panicky Kudzanai Mandengu has unsuccessfully tried to sweet talk local hospital staff to restart his Covid-19 vaccination after failing to secure a second dose of Covaxin.
“They won’t allow me to start the vaccination process again. I am confused now. I don’t know if I am still safe at all because I was supposed to have received the second dose some three weeks back, but it is not yet available,” he said.
Ordinarily, all second jabs are automatically booked and administered after four weeks. In some instances, this is not happening. But what could be the possible effect, if any, of not completing the vaccination process or switching to another dose midway through the process?
“Taking a second jab which is different from the first one disrupts the mechanism of how the two vaccines are built up to work together. This means that if you take two different jabs, you have not built the immunity that you need, so you are not safe at all; it is as good as you are not vaccinated at all,” explained WHO country representative Dr Alex Gasasira.
“ . . . What has been medically proven is that one is fully vaccinated when they get their two jabs of the same vaccine, so even if there are delays, one needs to make an effort to get the second one.
“We have also received inquiries on some people who, after failing to secure a second dose, they then opt to restart the process by getting a first dose of a different vaccine.
‘‘It is possible to restart the process because they have not been fully vaccinated, but it should be to the discretion of
the health worker and that particular person.”
As demand for Covid-19 vaccines continue rising, some health centres now opt for booking systems that guarantee less chaos.
The Government is intensifying the Covid-19 vaccination programme, with a bias towards hotspots that include Kwekwe, Harare, Karoi, Chiredzi, Masvingo and Murehwa.
Overall, the goal is to reach herd immunity within the shortest possible time.
Herd immunity, also known as population immunity, is the indirect protection from an infectious disease that happens when a population is immune either through vaccination or immunity developed through previous infection.
But WHO supports achieving herd immunity through vaccination, as allowing a disease to spread through any segment of the population would inevitably result in unnecessary cases and deaths.
Zimbabwe received the largest single Covid-19 vaccine consignment of two million doses on Thursday, bringing the total vaccine imports to over 4,26 million.
Another consignment 3,5 million vaccines is expected by month-end.
