Massive turnout for vaccination
BULAWAYO yesterday rolled out the mass vaccination which is largely targeting all adults and there was an overwhelming response from residents as they thronged various designated sites to get inoculated.
All adults above the age of 18 years are eligible for vaccination.
The metropolitan province is targeting to inoculate 400 000 residents to achieve herd immunity.
The country received two million doses of Sinovac vaccines last Thursday from China which saw Bulawayo and Harare receiving 100 000 doses each while eight other provinces got 50 000 doses each.
Zimbabwe’s free and voluntary vaccination programme aims to reach 10 million citizens to achieve herd immunity.
Last week the city rolled out a vaccination exercise targeting 15 000 informal traders within 10 days and vaccinated more than 7 000 vendors in four days. City health authorities were yet to compile the latest statistics by yesterday.
As of July 11, a total of 895 980 people had received the first jab and 595 417 the second one.
The designated sites include all 19 municipal clinics including Ingutsheni, Mpilo Central Hospital and the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH).
The Chronicle news crew yesterday visited selected council clinics and observed that there were queues of people at Cowdray Park, Luveve and Pelandaba clinics.
However, at Magwegwe Clinic there were no queues while in Emakhandeni, the clinic was closed.
Long queues were also observed at the City Hall as residents jostled to get vaccinated.
Acting Bulawayo provincial medical director Dr Welcome Mlilo said the mass vaccination is a new phase targeting all adults from the age of 18 years and above.
“When we first embarked on the vaccination programme on February 18, we were only targeting frontline workers and today (yesterday) we started rolling out a phase where we are targeting all adults.
“Under the mass vaccination campaign, all residents aged 18 and above can be vaccinated at any council clinic and the three central hospitals,” he said.
Dr Mlilo said the vaccination exercise targeting informal traders is still in progress.
“We are continuing with the vaccination blitz targeting informal traders. We are hopeful that we will be able to reach the vast majority of both the registered and unregistered informal traders by the end of this week,” he said.
Dr Mlilo said the number of people who want to be vaccinated is now very high in the city.
Bulawayo Provincial Affairs and Devolution Minister Judith Ncube said the mass vaccination programme is progressing well throughout the city.
“The programme is going on well and people are coming in large numbers for vaccination. The challenge is that we are having long queues and I have since engaged the health authorities to open more centres including in private health facilities,” she said
“We continue to encourage residents to get vaccinated so that we curb the spread of the pandemic as new cases continue to rise across the country. Let us avoid unnecessary movements and gatherings and we should continue to adhere to the health regulations such as maintaining social distancing, masking up and regular washing of hands.”
In a notice, Bulawayo Town Clerk Mr Christopher Dube said the council is working in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Child Care under the programme.
“As per the Ministry of Health and Child Care roll out plan, all residents above 18 years are eligible for Covid-19 vaccination,” he said.
Some of the clinical districts in Bulawayo, which include Nkulumane, Emakhandeni and northern suburbs have been classified as hotspots.
Suburbs covered by the Nkulumane clinical district include Nkulumane, Pelandaba, Sizinda, Nketa, Emganwini and Barham Green.
Emakhandeni clinical district covers Cowdray Park, Njube, Luveve, Magwegwe, Pumula and Emakhandeni suburbs.
The northern suburbs include Mpopoma, Mzilikazi, Nguboyenja, Makokoba and the city centre.
Complacency has been blamed for the latest surge in new infections.
Speaking during the burial of the late national heroes Lieutenant-General Edzai Absolom Chimonyo and Cde Michael Chakabva at the National Heroes Acre in Harare yesterday, President Mnangagwa urged eligible adults to get vaccinated in light of a surge in Covid-19 cases.
“Most importantly, I want to acknowledge the ongoing positive results to the national vaccination programme. Eligible adults must continue to go out and get vaccinated. You have a responsibility to your families, your communities and our great country to protect yourselves from the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said. — @ mashnets @SeehYvonne.