HARARE- China has donated another 200,000 Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine doses to boost Zimbabwe’s fight against the novel pandemic.
The first donation that arrived in Harare a few weeks ago is currently being used to inoculate frontline workers, including healthcare personnel, immigration officers, and journalists among others.
The uptake has however been less than impressive, according to observers.
“China has decided to donate another 20,0000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine to Zimbabwe,” Chinese ambassador Guo Shaochun announced on Wednesday without going into delivery timelines.
“Facing this global pandemic, what we need is solidarity and action. China is committed to standing with the Zimbabwean people,” he added.
Zimbabwe is also awaiting delivery next month of 600,000 doses procured from the Chinese drug manufacturer.
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who doubles as health minister, became the first citizen to receive the Sinopharm jab last week, breaking ground for the beginning of a national vaccination effort.
There is growing public hesitancy against the Chinese vaccine in Zimbabwe, whose effectiveness against the now-dominant South African variant has yet to be established.
But Chiwenga has sought to allay fears saying authorities had taken “scientific processes to ascertain the efficacy of the Sinopharm vaccine, which was confirmed to be 79 percent,” though without giving specifics about its effect on the more contagious South African variant.
The government says it has set aside US$100 million to acquire at least 20 million vaccine doses from different manufacturers to inoculate 60 percent of the population or 10 million people to achieve herd immunity.
Covid-19 cases have slowed down since mid-January, giving hope to a country that has since recorded 35 910 infections and 1,1 448 deaths so far.
