Covid-19 likely to be with us until 2023/24, Zimbabwe Deputy Health Minister says

Q &A

HON. DR. KHUPE:  Thank you Madam Speaker Ma’am, my question is directed to the Minister of Health and Child Care.  Hon. Minister, you advised the nation that Zimbabwe was going to reach herd immunity by October and we are now in November.  In the same vein, the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development said they had procured enough vaccines. When are we likely to reach herd immunity as a country?  I thank you.

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. DR. MANGWIRO):  Thank you Hon. Chair and thank you Hon. Khupe for the enquiry about when we are going to reach herd immunity.  I must say that by year end, right now we are almost at 40% because the last two weeks we were at 38% and now we are almost at 40%.

In the same vein, we have said as Government, those between 16 and 17 can now be vaccinated and most of them are our Form Four to Upper Six students.  These make a large number of our population – we all know that Zimbabwe’s population is mainly the young ones.  So we are out to vaccinate these young people within the shortest space of time, maybe in the next two to three weeks, we are going to be going to schools to vaccinate them on site.  As usual, our Outreach Programmes are still very effective and they are all out in full force.  We have been holding meetings with Provincial Ministers, PMDs, church leaders, traditional leaders and everyone involved so that we target and reach our herd immunity this year end.

Also the vaccines are plenty-some; we still have enough to get us there.  Next week, we are expecting to receive another million additional vaccines, which means we are on course.  Every week, we have something prepared, bought by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development where we are expecting delivery.  So I implore Members of the House to also go out in full force with us, be it Hon. Senators, Members of Parliament and Ministers, to make sure we achieve the herd immunity that we want, of 60%.  I must remind Hon. Members that this pandemic is likely to be with us until maybe 2023/24.  Other countries have started seeing the fourth wave now, so we are quite familiar that once the fourth wave starts somewhere, definitely it will come to us.  So we want the fourth wave when we have done our best in terms of vaccination.

I want to thank the Hon. Member and want to encourage all Members of Parliament, councilors and everyone, that we all go out in full force to make sure we get vaccination and make sure that we are protected.  I thank you.

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