Government has urged citizens to take their second COVID-19 vaccine to close the wide gap between the first and second dose.
By Adelaide Kuudzerema
Addressing a post-Cabinet media briefing on Tuesday, Acting Information Minister, Jenfan Muswere said the huge gap between the number of people who received their first and second doses need to be closed.
“Cabinet wishes to inform the nation that, as of 18th July 2022, a total of 6,346,598 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine had been administered, while 4,698,444 people had received their second dose, and 916,459 their third dose,” said Muswere.
“The government will therefore continue to intensify vaccination activities in order to bridge the gap between the 1st and 2nd dose coverage as well as reach herd immunity before year-end,” said Muswere.
Zimbabwe is among the first countries on the African continent to roll out COVID-19 vaccination in February last year after receiving a donation of vaccines from China and had targeted to achieve herd immunity by December last year.
Government has tried various initiatives to ramp up vaccination, including launching a vaccination programme targeted at children from 12 years and above but that has not helped as the numbers are still far from the 10 million mark.
Zimbabwe has to date recorded 256,137 COVID-19 cases, 250,059 recoveries and 5,568 deaths.
