Covid-19 vaccination blitz starts

Harare (New Ziana) – The Covid-19 vaccination blitz targeting 12 year olds and above started on Monday amid calls for parents to allow their 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 a blitz.

Medical experts cleared Covid-19 vaccines to children aged 12 years and above.

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 was scheduled to begin on Tuesday.

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,” he told New Ziana.

Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education director of Communications and Advocacy Taungana Ndoro confirmed that vaccinations 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.

Zimbabwe’s COVID-19 vaccination programme has been ranked as one of the best on the African Continent.

As of 17 March 2022, the country’s second dose vaccine coverage was 35 percent of the target population.

Addressing the media on Sunday, Health and Child Care Minister, who is also Vice President, Constantino Chiwenga said the blitz would be conducted in two phases during the months of March, April and May 2022.

The first phase will run from 21 March to 3 April 2022, while the second phase will run from 2 to 15 May 2022.

New Ziana