Harare (New Ziana) – Zimbabwe will this week receive its first consignment of Russian-made Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine, as the country broadens its widely commended vaccination programme.

Zimbabwe’s vaccination campaign started in February using the Chinese-made Sinopharm vaccine before broadening the programme to include other drugs such as Sinovac, also from China, and the Covaxin jab from India.

Presidential spokesperson George Charamba confirmed the imminent arrival of the Sputnik V.

“We should be receiving (our) first ever consignment of Sputnik V this week,” he tweeted without elaborating on the amounts

The Sputnik V is the world’s first registered COVID-19 vaccine and is rated as one of the most effective.

So far, just over a million Zimbabweans have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Zimbabwe’s inoculation programme has been rated well ahead of all mainland SADC countries in terms of procurement and administration of Covid-19 vaccines.

For example, a deliberate approach to vaccinate the entire adult population in Victoria Falls has enabled the City to attain herd immunity and to resume normal tourism activities.

New Ziana