THE Covid-19 vaccination blitz targeting 12-year-olds and above started smoothly across the country yesterday amid calls for parents to allow children to be inoculated.
Though Covid-19 vaccination has been ongoing for more than a year, the government last week raised concern over the low numbers of people getting the jab in recent months, prompting the ministry of Health and Child Care and its partners to roll out the blitz.
Medical experts cleared Covid-19 vaccines to children aged 12 years and above. In Bulawayo, the blitz kicked off on a positive note with many pupils turning out for their first Covid-19 dose. Schools visited by the Daily News yesterday, such as Eveline High, Coghlan Primary School and Milton Junior School, had started vaccinations, with health workers having set up camp and vaccination booths there.
Speaking to the Daily News, Bulawayo provincial medical director Maphios Siamuchembu said careful planning had been done ahead of the drive. “We are hoping for the best outcomes as we begin the vaccination drive especially for primary schools. We have been at secondary schools before so it’s not really a new drive there. But for primary scholars, we hope that all will go well but we have made all the necessary arrangements for a smooth programme,” he said.
He further noted that the ministry was still trying to fight misinformation as people continued to make decisions based on false narratives about the vaccine. In Harare, vaccination of 12-year-olds and above learners started well at Highlands Primary school while at Admiral Tait and David Livingstone schools, the blitz is scheduled to begin today.
In Chitungwiza, municipal spokesperson Lovemore Meya confirmed that Covid-19 vaccination had been rolled out at several schools in the town. “Vaccination of learners who are 12 years and above is going on in primary and secondary schools. We will spread the roll out through outreaches across the town,” Ndoro said. Primary and Secondary Education ministry director of communications and advocacy Taungana Ndoro confirmed vaccination of learners had started in earnest. “Yes, vaccination has been rolled out in schools.
We encourage all parents with learners who are 12 years and above to allow them to get vaccinated so that we manage the spread of Covid-19 in schools and in the community,” he said. The vaccine hesitancy comes as health experts have warned that the government needs to invest more on educating the public.
Speaking to the Daily News at the weekend, the experts said as long as many people continued to ignore vaccination and other virus containment measures, the new blitz would not bear the desired results. President of the Medical and Dental Private Practitioners Association of Zimbabwe, Johannes Marisa, was among those who called on Zimbabweans to change their attitude towards the virulent respiratory disease. Staff Writer and New Ziana