Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Wednesday received his first shot of the Chinese Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine, reported Reuters. He got a jab in Victoria Falls, in western Zimbabwe, to promote tourism and launch the second phase of the country’s vaccination campaign. His vaccination was broadcast live on national TV.
Mnangagwa’s vaccination at a public event along with other opposition leaders was meant to assure citizens that the vaccines were safe and encourage them to get inoculated.
“I, therefore, challenge all of us in our respective communities to accept the vaccination program and to shun vaccine hesitancy, misinformation, and the negative conspiracy theories,” the Zimbabwean president said before receiving the vaccine.
Zimbabwe bought 200,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine from China. China has also reportedly donated 400,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine. Currently, the health authorities are giving only these two Chinese vaccines to the people. Russia’s Sputnik-V and India’s Covaxin have also been approved for use in the country.
The first phase of Zimbabwe’s vaccination campaign targeted front-line workers such as health care workers, border officials, journalists, and gravediggers.
Zimbabwean President Mnangagwa said the second phase of the vaccination program will target teachers, members of the judiciary, and security services as well as the elderly.
Zimbabwe aims to vaccinate 10 million of its people, representing 60% of the country’s population, in an effort to achieve herd immunity. Herd immunity is achieved when enough people have immunity, either from vaccination or past infection, to stop the uncontrolled spread of a virus.
The health ministry said it had planned to give the Sinopharm vaccine to 53,000 health workers and security forces when it launched the first phase of its program on Feb. 18, but only 44,135 people had been vaccinated by Tuesday.
The country has recorded 36,749 cases of infection, including 1,516 deaths, by Mar.25, according to the health ministry.
