COVID-19: More than 6 million Zimbabweans vaccinated

ZIMBABWE has hit a major milestone in its COVID-19 vaccine roll out programme with more than six million people having received the first dose.

As of Thursday evening, a total 6 009 234 people had received the first dose of COVID-19 as government intensifies its vaccination programme under phase two of the COVID-19 vaccination blitz.

A visit to most vaccination centres and mobile clinics in Zhombe and Silobela areas of Kwekwe District witnessed more people getting the first jab more than a year after the vaccination process started.

“All along I was waiting to check if people do not die from the vaccine so now that they are still alive, I figured it’s all lies, that’s why I decided to get the jab,” said a local who was receiving the jab.

“For the whole time I was afraid to get the jab as I had heard a lot of misinformation from social media that the jab is not good for me but through education I now know that this vaccine is good for me that is why I have been inoculated.

“I have high blood pressure so I was afraid that it will worsen my health that’s why all along I was shunning the vaccine but now I know better that I am more exposed if not vaccinated.”

“When we rolled out this covid-19 vaccination drive to the community, social media was ahead of us and there was a lot of misinformation and misconceptions and people were not very sure whether this vaccine was safe but after the second phase of the pandemic when we encountered more deaths that’s when most people started coming for vaccination,” said Sister Gloria Shoko, the Sister in charge for Kwekwe district.

“Initially, I think it was a problem of social media spreading lies but now people are more confident in the vaccines we have.”

The COVID-19 vaccination blitz, which ends on Sunday, has seen more than 2 million people getting inoculated since the launch on the second phase on March 21.

zbc