Ambitious Vaccination Plan Fails To Take Off
The Government is yet to establish COVID-19 vaccination sites at bus terminuses across the country weeks after Cabinet made the announcement.
Hospitals and clinics are still to start administering the booster jabs that were promised weeks ago.
Senior Hospital Doctors Association (SHDA) president Shingai Nyaguse said vaccination sites at bus termini would be convenient for some people. Said Nyaguse:
Bus termini are a good area to catch people who may live too far from clinics or who haven’t been able to go to the other formal sites for whatever reason.
Community Working Group on Health executive director Itai Rusike said health centres are still to administer booster jabs as they wait for a government directive. He said:
It is very unfortunate that the government announcements are not matching up with the implementation on the ground just like the administration of the third dose or booster jab that was announced by President (Emmerson) Mnangagwa some two weeks ago is yet to be implemented.
Most health facilities are saying that they are still waiting for the government directive.
… We also need mobile outreach services and the use of motorbikes in rural areas and remote locations in order to address issues of vaccine equity.
Zimbabwe needs some innovative COVID-19 vaccination roll-out strategies if the country is to accelerate towards achieving the required herd immunity.
We welcomed the proposal by the government to erect vaccination posts at bus terminuses and we urge the authorities to urgently implement the programme without further delay.
Medical and Dental Private Practitioners of Zimbabwe Association president Johannes Marisa urged the Government not to give up on encouraging citizens to get the jab. He said:
You know when you are in positions of authority, and you notice that some of the things that you want to do are not being done because of one’s ignorance and misinformation, you do everything in order to stimulate and coerce people into getting vaccinated.
On 3 December the Ministry of Health and Child Care announced that it would administer booster shots to frontline workers, people with chronic diseases, and the elderly with immediate effect.
