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Dr Portia Mananganzira

Sharon Kavhu Herald Reporter
Government has said it will roll out the first consignment of the long-awaited Rotavirus vaccine before year-end after it failed to meet its earlier winter schedule.The vaccine, which prevents diarrhoea in children under the age of five, was expected to be introduced before the peak of this year’s winter season when most children are vulnerable to the disease.

This comes in the wake of a diarrhoea outbreak across the country, with 12 994 cases and 11 deaths having been reported nationwide in recent weeks.

Director of epidemiology and diseases control in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Portia Manangazira said the introduction of the vaccine was delayed by the renovations of drug storage facilities at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals.

“Unlike other vaccines where 10 children can be vaccinated using one bottle, Rotavirus’ dosage requires one child per bottle, therefore, the vaccine requires more space to be stored,” she said.

“The drug storage facilities we had early this year could not accommodate the vaccine and thus we had to wait for the renovations to be completed.

“The expansions are now at advanced stages such that in November they should be done.”
Dr Manangazira said Government was working with Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI) to ensure that the diarrhoea vaccine was available before the year ends.

“GAVI is contributing 80 percent of the costs of purchasing the vaccines, leaving Government to carter for the remainder,” she added.
“Eventually, the Government will have to graduate until it is able to pay the costs of the vaccines on its own. “Our first batch of procurement will be 373 976 doses of the vaccine.”

GAVI is a public-private partnership focused on saving children’s lives and protecting people’s health by increasing access to immunisation.

Dr Manangazira said: “We will be vaccinating children aged between six and 14 weeks, one child should be given each dosage at six weeks before the child’s immunity is exposed to the Rotavirus.

“The vaccine will be part of the national immunisation schedule. Rotavirus vaccine, like any other vaccine, has required temperatures from manufacturing, transportation till they reach the child to be vaccinated, therefore the storage rooms are very essential for the vaccine to be introduced in the country.”

According to the latest weekly report from the Ministry of Health and Child Care, over 7 000 of the 12 994 cases of diarrhoea that were recorded were in children under five.

Of the deaths from diarrhoea, seven cases were reported at Chitungwiza Central Hospital, two at Harare Central Hospital while Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals and Umguza District Hospital in Matabeleland North recorded one each.