The government has admitted to poor administration of the COVID-19 vaccines in a situation that has seen some centres having huge stocks while some were facing shortages.
In an interview with a local publication, COVID-19 taskforce national coordinator Agnes Mahomva confirmed that some vaccination centres had reported shortages though she insisted that the country had enough stocks.
“What you are talking about are just social media issues. We don’t have a shortage of vaccines. What’s happening is that some centers experience stock-outs while others have huge stocks,” she said.
“So if you go to a center and find there is a stock-out, that does not mean we have a shortage of vaccines. The Ministry of Health and Child Care is re-distributing the vaccines from centers which have stockpiles to those experiencing stock-outs. Let me also say that government has procured vaccines although I don’t have the quantities off hand, but we are going to receive them starting from tomorrow (today). So we have enough vaccines for the vaccination programme.”
In an interview with a local publication, a local health expert Solwayo Ngwenya said current shortage of COVID-19 vaccines the country is experiencing might be a worldwide problem as the demand is now high compared to the past periods.
“There is an acute shortage of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide. It’s not only here, the demand for them is too high and rich countries have bought vaccines in advance, that’s why we are having these shortages. It’s difficult to buy vaccines now and get them on time,” he said.
Several vaccination centers in Harare and Bulawayo last week ran out of COVID-19 vaccines and were only serving those taking their second dose.
Last month, the country confirmed the presence of the deadly Indian variant, after it was detected in Kwekwe, which has heightened fears of its spread.
The recent global dashboard statistics on the infection curve in Zimbabwe has also revealed increased infections.
