High cholera vaccine uptake in hotspots

THE country has achieved 90 percent coverage of the cholera vaccine in hotspot areas as Zimbabwe is poised to remove cholera as a public health threat in the next few months on the back of a decline in new cases.

Since the launch of the vaccination campaign on January 29, a total of 697 550 vaccine doses have been administered.

The country initially received 892 296 doses that are currently being administered in hotspot districts while another batch of 493 150 doses has since been received and dispatched to Mutare rural and urban districts where vaccination will commence today.

These are part of the 2,3 million doses allocated to the country by the International Coordinating Group on Vaccine Provision.

The last batch of 418 000 vaccine doses are expected in the country on February 10.

The campaign will reach people living in 160 wards within 26 high risk districts in Harare, Mashonaland West, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland Central, Manicaland, Masvingo and Midlands.

Addressing a media briefing yesterday, cholera incidence manager in the Ministry of Health and Child Care Dr Isaac Phiri said the country had recorded significant progress in the vaccination campaign.

“Uptake is good, people are coming forward to receive the vaccine and we have not recorded any pockets of resistance. For Harare, yesterday they were doing a mop up exercise because they had used all the vaccines that they had been allocated. We are looking at 89-90 percent uptake in the targeted areas,” he said.

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