No Cards For Vaccinated Villagers
Scores of people vaccinated against COVID-19 in Chikomba District, Mashonaland East Province, are failing to get cards raising suspicion that the cards could have been stolen and sold to the unvaccinated.
Some of those who talked to Masvingo Mirror on condition of anonymity received their jabs at Nharira Hospital.
They complained that they are still to get their vaccination cards two months after completing their doses.
Chikomba District Medical Officer Dr Ignatius Mahachi said he was not aware of the issue and promised to look into the matter. He said:
I am not yet informed about the issue of vaccination cards, however, I am going to look into it.
Isaac Hove from Gwekwerere Village said that the vaccination cards were in high demand and he suspected that some officials could be selling them. Said Hove:
We are yet to get our inoculation documents. We are tired of walking long distances only to be told to come and check again.
The worrying thing is that without the documents we cannot access services where the cards are required.
There are fears among villagers that the cards could have been sold to people evading vaccination.
Reports suggest that the COVID-19 vaccination card selling syndicate have mushroomed as demand for the cards soar.
The syndicates are thought to be tightly knit involving a web of officials from bureaucrats in the Ministry of Health and Childcare to those in charge of operations at vaccination centres.
Demand for vaccination cards has increased after Government last month ordered the reopening of churches only to fully vaccinated congregants, with several tertiary institutions also demanding students to be fully vaccinated to be allowed entrance to university or college campuses.
