Vaccination is the way to go but it does not guarantee one will not die- Zimbabwe Minister says

Vaccination is for now the only way to go to protect people against coronavirus but it does not guarantee eternity, Deputy Minister of Health John Mangwiro said yesterday.

He was responding to questions on why some people died after being vaccinated after he disclosed that tests conducted had shown that 90% people of the people that had died of Covid-19 were not vaccinated.

“What we are doing right now is what we know to prevent unnecessary deaths due to COVID. That is why we vaccinate people. It does not guarantee eternity,” he said.

“So, it is important that every Zimbabwean’s duty is to prevent or protect every citizen, be it your family, workmate, school mates from getting this infection, the Sars-cov-2, the Coronavirus disease.

“Vaccination for now is the way to go just like we do with our children for diseases like polio, diphtheria and tetanus, getting vaccinations for our babies, but still a baby can die after a year and even after vaccination.”

Q & A:

HON. GABBUZA:  Thank you.  I have a question to the Minister of Health and Child Care Madam Speaker.  It is plausible that Government announces figures of COVID deaths everyday.  Is it not good policy also Madam Speaker that when they announce the figures on COVID deaths, they indicate to the nation how many of those deaths were already vaccinated so that we have confidence in the vaccines and that we will encourage people to go and get vaccinated if indeed the vaccines are effective.  We can measure the efficacy of the vaccines through that.

THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF HEALTH AND CHILD CARE (HON. DR. MANGWIRO):  Thank you Hon. Speaker Ma’am.  Thank you Hon. Gabbuza.  Definitely, it is important that people get to know who was not vaccinated.  Not only that, those with underlying conditions, vaccinated and unvaccinated – [HON. TOFFA:  The Minister is not connected.] –

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  You are not connected Hon. Minister.

HON. DR. MANGWIRO:  Thank you.  I was saying in our statistics collection, we do not want only to announce or make known to the public, the number of people who have been vaccinated who have succumbed.  We also want to extend further to say, those who have succumbed to COVID-19, did they have other underlying conditions like hypertension, diabetes, heart failure, cancer, HIV, et cetera.  It is important because already we have done a study of people who have died.  Studies were done on about 207 of them by Prof. Makunike and others.  We found that 90% of those who died were unvaccinated. It is data that is already there in the domain.  What the Hon. Member is suggesting that a daily report be made, definitely is something that is a good policy which we are going to try and implement as soon as possible.  I thank you.

HON. T. MLISWA: Thank you Madam Speaker.  This leads to the question which Government and Hon. Minister Ziyambi mentioned that if you are not vaccinated as a Government worker, you will not get a job.  Now the statistics from the expert, the renowned surgeon says that people are dying because they are vaccinated.  Why would Government then say – [HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjections.] – No.  90% died because they were not vaccinated.  My point is this 90% – [HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjections.] – I am the one asking the question.  Do you want to ask it on my behalf?

THE HON. DEPUTY SPEAKER:  Order Hon. Members.

HON. T. MLISWA:  Madam Speaker, my point and my question is, the Minister has just alluded to the point that 90% of the people who died were unvaccinated, the question therefore which I am now asking the Minister is that, with the Government policy of saying that people who are not vaccinated must not work for Government. How safe are we with that leading to the question that if you are vaccinated do you not die? The question here is that if you are vaccinated do you not die because somebody will be fired for not being vaccinated but somebody vaccinated again, works and they die.  When you are vaccinated, are you guaranteed life?  My question is simple Hon. Minister.

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