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  • World - Africa
  • Updated: June 22, 2021

Zimbabwe's COVID-19 Vaccines Run Out As Country Records Spike In Cases

Zimbabwe's COVID-19 Vaccines Run Out As Country Records Spik

A nurse in Zimbabwe | Image Source: Voice of America

Zimbabwe has run out of COVID-19 vaccines amid a surge in cases and fears of an impending third wave.

The southern African nation's vaccination campaign commenced in February and the target was the inoculation of 60 percent of the entire 16 million citizens by the end of 2021.

Initially, President Emmerson Mnangagwa's administration relied on China for its vaccine donation but after 697,399 persons were inoculated as of June 15, the process is now facing some logistics issues as stockouts have been reported around the country.

Stephen Gwere, one of the citizens, said: "I got my second dose at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare, but what I witnessed there was tragic. Fights broke out in the queues as nurses informed people that those who wanted the first dose would not be served because the vaccines had run out.”

According to the Zimbabwean Peace Project (ZPP), a non-governmental organization tracking the vaccination exercise, people are being turned away on the grounds that vaccines are not available.

In its latest COVID-19 accountability tracker, the organization stated, "While the government’s vaccination drive has seen a large number of citizens vaccinated, there is still a huge gap to get to the desired vaccinated 60 percent of the population in order to achieve the required herd immunity.

"Even so, it appears the vaccines are fast running out with people at times turned away from vaccination centres because the vaccines have run out…

"There is an urgent need to address the vaccine issue so as not to undermine the progress made so far by having part of the population only getting the first dose and then failing to get the second dose of the vaccine.”

Strict and localized lockdowns were recently imposed in three districts in the country due to the recent spike in cases of the virus, with a ban on public gatherings and sporting activities as well.

Malvern Dhliwayo, the acting medical officer in the Kariba district, had this to say about the unfortunate development: "Demand for vaccination is high, but we are out of the vaccine.

"The Sinopharm doses have been exhausted for both the first and second doses. As for Sinovac, we are only left with the second doses. It means we're out of the first dose.”

 

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