The Covid-19 mass vaccination campaign for adults got off to a false start in Bulawayo with some residents turned away as most of the vaccination centres were yet to receive the vaccine.
The Bulawayo City Council (BCC) in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Child Care announced that starting this Monday all residents aged 18 years and above were eligible to receive the vaccine.
CITE visited some of the vaccination centres and observed that most people were being turned away as the centres had not received the vaccination to commence the mass vaccination programme.
Last week Zimbabwe took delivery of two million Sinovac vaccines from China and Bulawayo was allocated 100 000 doses.
One health worker at Mzilikazi clinic said at the moment they are vaccinating informal traders.
“We are currently vaccinating informal traders and the vaccine has run out,” he said.
“For now, we have not yet received the vaccines for the rest of the residents, maybe we will receive it by the end of the week or by next week,” said the Health worker.
At Entumbane clinic, there was a small queue with people waiting to be vaccinated.
“In the morning they said they had no vaccine, but they said they will start vaccinating people around 1 pm so we are still waiting for that,” said one resident on the queue.
At the Cowdray Park mobile clinic, residents said they were told to return tomorrow for vaccination.
“For the vaccination, we were told to come back tomorrow,” said one resident.
The vaccination centres are located at all council clinics and the three central hospitals, United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH), Mpilo Hospital and Ingutsheni Hospital.
I managed to get vaccinated at Doctor Shennan Clinic in Barham Green. I was given a Sinopharm shot, as well as my vaccination card. The only shortfall with the exercise is that only one nurse was immunising. I advise Council to recruit more nurses specifically for the immunisation programme, and have at least 10 nurses administering the vaccines at every inoculation centre. This will enable a lot of people to get vaccinated very quickly, increase social distancing at the vaccine sites, and ensure no one gets frustrated.
Many thanks to the very kind and professional nurses at the BG clinic. You reminded me of my Mum who is also a Nursing Sister. May God Bless You All.