Zimbabwe Has Received 25 000 More Sputnik V Doses
Zimbabwe has received 25 000 more doses of the Russian Covid-19 vaccine, Sputnik V, donated by diamond miner Alrosa Group.
The managing director of Alrosa Zimbabwe Mr Sergey Loshkarev handed over the vaccines to Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care Dr John Mangwiro.
Last week, Zimbabwe received two million Sinovac vaccines and another 3.5 million jabs are expected before the end of the month in two batches of 1.5 million and two million.
The country is mainly using the Chinese-made Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines which were granted Emergency Use Authorisation by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Accordig to research, Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine has 97.6 per cent efficacy.
After receiving the second batch of doses from Alrosa yesterday, Mangwiro implored those with unusual symptoms not to wait until it was too late. He said:
I want to urge fellow Zimbabweans that Covid-19 disease is real. Once you feel unusual symptoms like headache, vomiting, difficulty in breathing, or anything else, please go to the hospital as early as you can.
This disease gets worse over hours and or days people will be in bad shape. I want to emphasise that people should go to hospitals and other registered formal places where they can be helped.
At times people present late at health facilities and we end up losing them. Most of the cases that succumb would have delayed in seeking professional healthcare.
These 25 000 doses are the second doses of the 25 000 vaccines we received about three weeks ago and those vaccinated will now be able to be vaccinated in time for their second doses so that they are fully vaccinated.
He also thanked Alrosa Zimbabwe for the donation saying it showed a strong relationship between Russia and Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe has as of 14 July 2021 vaccinated at least 988 746 (first dose) and 624 894 (second dose).
More: Pindula News; The Herald
