HARARE — Zimbabwe’s government Tuesday announced that it will be introducing an annual COVID-19 re-vaccination exercise across the country.
This comes amid a lukewarm acceptance of the Covid vaccines with 4 933 944 people having received their second dose, and only 1 225 359 their third dose.
Zimbabwe’s population sits at about 16 million people.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga had early last year said the country aimed to achieve 60 percent herd immunity from COVID-19 with the vaccination of 10 million people by the end of 2021.
That remains a pipe dream as 2022 heads to an end amid rampant vaccine hesitancy.
On Tuesday Cabinet advised that as at 20th November 2022, the country’s cumulative cases since the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 stood at 258 914, with 252 762 recoveries and 5 616 cumulative deaths.
The recovery rate was 98%, with 516 active cases having been reported.
“The pandemic remains under control,” Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa told the media during Tuesday’s post Cabinet briefing.
“To maintain the situation, Cabinet agreed that all Ministers will lead teams to all provinces across the country to ramp up vaccination uptake, with special focus on Harare, where the vaccination levels are low, and other provinces such as the Midlands and Mashonaland West, where the second dose vaccination levels are low as well.”
“Regarding the national vaccination programme, Cabinet wishes to inform the nation that, as at 20 November 2022, a total of 6 565 695 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been administered, while 4 933 944 people had received their second dose, and 1 225 359 their third dose,” she continued.
“This translates to a national coverage of 58.4%. Accordingly, an annual COVID-19 re-vaccination exercise will be introduced across the country.”
