Health

Zimbabwe begins vaccination campaign against Covid-19 using Chinese vaccine

Harare, Feb 18 (efe-epa).- Zimbabwe began on Thursday its Covid-19 inoculation campaign with a vaccine developed in China, becoming the eighth country in Africa to launch an immunization drive to combat the coronavirus.

Constantino Chiwenga, the country’s vice-president, was the first person to receive the shot during a ceremony organized at Wilkins Hospital, three days after a plane from Air Zimbabwe brought 200,000 Sinopharm vaccines from China.

“Today marks the launch of the vaccination program that seeks to achieve a herd immunity of at least 10 million Zimbabweans,” Chiwenga said after receiving the dose from a nurse dressed in a protective gown and mask.

Chiwenga, who is also Zimbabwe’s Health Minister, said that his department confirmed that the vaccines had a 79% efficacy rate against Covid-19.

The government revealed that 61% of Covid-19 infections in Zimbabwe are caused by the more contagious so-called South African variant.

Seven other African countries have begun vaccination campaigns : Morocco, Argelia, Egypt, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles and South Africa. EFE-EPA

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