The Sunday Mail
Rumbidzai Muparutsa
Government is expecting delivery of typhoid vaccines in two weeks’ time and will begin the vaccination programme thereafter.
The $700 000 week-long exercise – which is being supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Global Vaccine Alliance (GAVI) and Unicef — will be conducted before year-end.
Overall, it is targeting 320 000 people in Harare’s nine suburbs.
WHO’s cholera control strategy expert Dr Marc Poncin told The Sunday Mail yesterday that although there has been a 10-day delay, the team is confident that the vaccines will be delivered between November 24 and December 8, 2018.
“Hopefully, this delay should not change the vaccination plan, which is to take place before the end of the year.
“Government is expecting 340 000 typhoid conjugate vaccines (TCVs) to be administered to protect 320 000 people in nine suburbs in the capital city,” said Dr Poncin. The TCVs are manufactured by Bharat International Limited, an Indian company.
Mbare, Budiriro, Glen View and Kuwadzana have been affected the most by the disease in the last three years due to poor water and sanitation systems. The suburbs have been targeted for the vaccination programme. Hatcliffe, Caledonia, Stoneridge/Hopely and Dzivarasekwa will also be included in the exercise. “The number of cases is high among the 15 to 45 years age group in Mbare so the vaccination will be extended to this age group in Mbare only.
“Food handling is a known risk factor for typhoid transmission and therefore, food handlers at the Mbare market will also be vaccinated. “Data shows that TCV is safe and effective in all age groups between six months and 45 years of age.
Director of epidemiology and disease control in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Portia Manangazira said Government plans to ease the burden on the local health system by reducing cases of typhoid through introducing TCV into the routine immunisation of children below the age of two.
“After rolling out this mass vaccination campaign to curb the typhoid outbreak in Harare, MoHCC shall introduce TCV into the routine immunisation for children below the age of two by 2020.
“The TCV mass campaign, together with the routine introduction, should lead to a reduction of typhoid cases in Zimbabwe and greatly reduce the burden on the health system,” she said.
As the production of TCV remains limited, WHO has called for production to be prioritised for countries with the highest burden of typhoid or in cases where resistance to antibiotic treatment has been noted.
Typhoid cases have been progressively rising since 2016, with more than 4 330 cases reported in October last year.
Intermittent water supplies in high-density suburbs, which often breed poor sanitation, have often been blamed for the increased incidence of water-borne diseases.
Government recently concluded a cholera vaccination exercise, which covered an estimated 1 million people during the first phase.
