The government has announced that the Covid-19 vaccine programme will now proceed to phase two of the National Vaccination Plan with college lecturers and school teachers being inoculated against the deadly pandemic.
Addressing the media during the post cabinet briefing yesterday, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Monica Mutsvangwa said the National Vaccination Plan is now proceeding to phase two which includes university and college lecturers as well as teachers.
“In view of extra vaccination capacity, Cabinet has resolved that those in Phase 2 of the National Vaccination Plan can start getting their vaccines,” said Mutsvangwa.
Mutsvangwa said the COVID-19 vaccine roll out programme is well on course, with a total of 34 400 people vaccinated countrywide as of day 12 of the Campaign.
Mutsvangwa recently said that priority for the roll-out was accorded to healthcare workers, health personnel for the security services, those at the ports of entry and Agritex workers under Phase 1.
The elderly and vulnerable groups would also be targeted under the initial phase, while the second phase encompasses college and university lecturers and school teachers. The rest of the population at low risk will be catered for under the final phase.
“The vaccination programme will be on a voluntary basis and will be free. The aim of the first phase is to vaccinate 22 percent, 18,4 percent under Phase 2; 18,4 percent under Phase 3, thereby yielding a vaccinated population of nearly 60 percent of the population,” she said last month.
According to Mutsvangwa, the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe approved the use of Sinopharm and Sinovac from China, Covaxin from India and Russia’s Sputnik-V in the country.
