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Rumbidzayi Zinyuke

Senior Health Reporter

Government will not force Zimbabweans to take the Covid-19 vaccination, but will continue educating citizens on the importance of being protected against the pandemic, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga has said.

Vice President Chiwenga said vaccination was slowly becoming the key to all economic and social activities, and Zimbabwe will not be an exception.

He was speaking at Wilkins Hospital after receiving his second dose of the Sinopharm vaccine yesterday. 

“We will continue to educate the people so that they know that eventually, they will get segregated if they are not vaccinated. Everyone will start chastising you that you were not vaccinated and you want to give us a disease,” said VP Chiwenga. 

“If you are following global news, it is being said that you cannot travel without; some are calling it (vaccination) the green passport. Some are saying even if you want to join others in a pub or a restaurant, you cannot do it, the same applies for travelling. 

“So we want to educate our people that it is in their best interest that they get vaccinated.” 

VP Chiwenga said vaccination would not only protect the person who received the shot, but also protect everyone else in their communities.

Zimbabwe received 400 000 doses on Tuesday and has scaled up the vaccination exercise to include more people from other sectors of the economy.

This has necessitated the recruitment of more health personnel to carry out the exercise.

Mrs Janette “Sam” and Egbert “Bart” Toet get information recorded by Sister Evelyn Mangoya after their vaccination at Wilkins Hospital in Harare yesterday. — Pictures: Tawanda Mudimu.

As a result, Government has taken on board medical staff from local authorities, the uniformed forces as well as retired nursing staff to complement the existing staff on the programme.

“The process when we started was slow. The reason being when we started, we had a few stations and also our staff was learning the ropes. We are now expanding the staff which is doing the vaccination. 

“If we are to achieve the 60 percent herd immunity, we have to do it faster and we have to have enough manpower,” he said.

He urged Zimbabweans to ignore negative messages on the vaccines circulating on social media and focus on securing their lives and those of people around them.