Theft of COVID-19 vaccination cards: Distortion of data, information

LATELY, there have been media reports alleging theft of COVID-19 vaccination cards which then find their way on to the black market for sale to unvaccinated individuals.

The Zimbabwe Democracy Institute (ZDI)’s latest access to public health monitoring report gives insights into these occurrences and the impact of distorted data in the public health sector.

Effects

Government’s failure to address incapacitation of healthcare workers in Zimbabwe is proving to be a catalyst of corrupt activities across many health centres in Zimbabwe.

The requirement of COVID-19 vaccination evidence in the form of vaccination cards in some employment and leisure spheres has seen many people scrambling for vaccination cards without necessarily going through the normal and accepted vaccination process.

Cases of COVID-19 vaccination cards’ theft and disappearance from vaccination centres have found their way into mainstream media in Zimbabwe.

An enquiry carried out by ZDI revealed that details of people buying COVID-19 vaccination cards are entered into the official vaccination database.

It suffices, therefore, to say the reported number of people vaccinated includes people who bought vaccination cards and had their details entered in official database.

There is a risk of chasing a dummy COVID-19 herd immunity if the rot in the public health sector is not urgently addressed.

Government’s health facilities visits: Action is what matters most

Government through Health deputy minister John Mangwiro in September visited a number of public health facilities across the country.

This came against a background of an unprecedented deterioration in the country’s healthcare infrastructure coupled with healthcare personnel brain drain.

The major contributing factors to this situation are severe social and economic challenges bedevilling Zimbabwe.

Of much concern is the state of public healthcare facilities in the rural areas.