from MARCUS MUSHONGA in Harare, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe Bureau Chief
HARARE, (CAJ News) – ZIMBABWE is excelling in an area where fellow African nations are failing – the acquisition of vaccines and inoculation of its citizens.
This is a major breakthrough for a country whose health systems has been a source of ridicule in recent years after it succumbed to the decades-long economic crisis.
The government this week increased its vaccination drive to 40 000 people inoculated per day, a relatively high figure in a country of around 15 million people.
“Zimbabwe is now vaccinating people at a rate of 40 000 doses per day. We must not rest. Zimbabweans, get the jab to keep our country safe and help our economy bounce back!” President Emmerson Mnangagwa stated.
The Southern African country is currently vaccinating its citizens with the Chinese-manufactured Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines as well as Russian’s Sputnik V and India’s Covaxin.
Zimbabwe enjoys cordial relations with these countries.
Mnangagwa’s government has vaccinated more than 2 million people to date.
It anticipates reaching herd immunity by the end of the year.
Some South Africans have been reportedly getting vaccinations in Zimbabwe as their country struggles with its vaccination campaign.
Zimbabwe has recorded 76 381 cases of COVID-19. This includes 2 332 deaths.
– CAJ News