Zimbabwe receives first batch of Covid-19 vaccines

Zimbabwe received the first batch of the covid-19 vaccines, 200,000 Sinopharm doses, on Monday. 

The doses arrived in the country's capital, Harare. 

Last week, Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the country expects to receive a further 600,000 doses from China  in early March. 

 It is unclear how the country will pay for the second batch of the vaccines, given that it is cash-strapped. 

According to Zimbabwe’s Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also the head of the delegation receiving the vaccines, frontline health workers would be the first to be vaccinated.

Chiwenga said, “This is a timely donation…our people have suffered from this pandemic. The vaccine offers the possibility that our people who have borne the brunt of the economic ravages of the pandemic might finally turn a new page.” 

The country has set aside $100 million for vaccine procurement. It aims to buy 20 million doses in efforts to immunise about 60% of its population and achieve herd immunity.

Without giving further details, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said around 1.8 million vaccine doses would be acquired from China. 

Last week, Senegal paid $3.7 million for 200,000 doses of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine – nearly $19 per shot.

African nations that have begun giving vaccinations are only a handful. Many richer nations are many steps ahead with mass immunisation programmes.

The African Union says it has secured roughly 670 million doses for the African continent.

Zimbabwe, which has reported close to 35,000 confirmed cases of the virus and nearly 1,400 deaths so far, is also negotiating with Russia over the procurement of its Sputnik vaccines. 

The southern African country was expecting more doses from India and COVAX.