The Municipality of Chitungwiza’s health department will embark on the fourth round of the polio vaccination campaign during the period 10-13 October 2023.
In a public notice, the local authority said vaccination teams will be moving from house to house, schools, creches and shopping centres and markets vaccinating all eligible children during the four-day period. It said:
<blockquote>
Poliomyelitis (polio) is a highly infectious viral disease caused by poliovirus that largely affects children under 5 years of age.
The virus is transmitted by person-to-person spread mainly through the faecal-oral route or, by contaminated water or and multiplies in the intestine, from where it can affect the nervous system and cause paralysis.
Zimbabwe has been polio-free since 1989, but now the country is at high risk of infection from the Polio virus.
The virus has already been reported in neighbouring high-risk countries, Malawi and Mozambique.
In 2022, the country made a recommendable success in conducting three rounds of a nationwide oral polio vaccination campaign.
According to the recommendation from the World Health Organization, there is a need to conduct at least four rounds of oral polio vaccination for children below the age of 5 years.
Following this recommendation, the Ministry of Health and Child Care will be conducting the fourth round of oral polio vaccination from 10-13 October 2023
Finger Marking NB: A finger mark is an indication that a child is vaccinated with OPV. We are targeting ALL children 0-59 months (below 5 years).
The vaccination teams will be moving from house to house, schools, creches and at shopping centres and markets vaccinating all eligible children.
</blockquote>
Most people who contract the virus do not experience any symptoms, but in some cases, polio can cause mild to severe symptoms, including, fever, sore throat, headache, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, stiffness in the neck and back, muscle weakness or paralysis (usually in the legs), difficulty swallowing or breathing, abnormal reflexes, and muscle pain or tenderness.
There is no cure for polio, but treatment can help manage the symptoms and prevent complications.
The polio vaccine is highly effective in preventing infection and is recommended for all children.
In addition, good hygiene practices, such as washing hands regularly, can help prevent the spread of the virus.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

Chitungwiza To Embark On Four-day Polio Vaccination Campaign

The Zimbabwe Red Cross Society (ZRCS) is implementing an Africa CDC Saving Lives and Livelihoods project whose main thrust is social mobilisation for COVID-19 vaccine demand and uptake.
The project, which is being implemented in Mashonaland West and Midlands provinces, is facilitated by the Health and Child Care Ministry.
The project is being supported by the Africa CDC Saving Lives and Livelihoods in partnership with MasterCard Foundation.
Esther Chitaya of Denhere village (Ward 4) in Zvimba district told <a href="https://www.thestandard.co.zw/news/article/200013207/fresh-covid-19-vaccination-drive-targets-rural-folk">The Standard</a> that people in her community, who have received the first dose, had been hesitant to get the second dose due to misconceptions and myths about the origins of COVID-19. She said:
<blockquote>
I got my first dose at Matanhire shopping centre during a mobile vaccination programme and I never turned up for the second dose.
Just recently, we had people from the Red Cross and Health Ministry moving around our village telling us about the importance of vaccination and warning us that COVID-19 was not over.
It was after this awareness drive that you find me and my colleagues here at the clinic to get the vaccination.
I have realised the importance of being vaccinated and I want to urge others to do so.
I think what the government is doing is essential because they are protecting us from future disasters.
We saw people dying of COVID-19 and we can’t afford to lose more just because they are not vaccinated.
</blockquote>
Tivaudze Mushangwe (19), who was getting his first COVID-19 jab at Nyabira clinic in Zvimba District, urged the Government to incorporate COVID-19 services into other health services programmes.
Zimbabwe Red Cross Society secretary-general Elias Hwenga said:
<blockquote>
You would realise that the main thrust of this project is social mobilisation for COVID-19 vaccine demand and uptake.
I am happy that our teams and village health workers have got the training and are getting into the communities.
</blockquote>
Africa CDC Saving Lives and Livelihood Programme national coordinator Charles Ibeneme said:
<blockquote>
The Saving Lives and Livelihoods initiative is a partnership between the MasterCard Foundation and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) designed to save the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in Africa and hasten the economic recovery of the continent in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The initiative is acquiring vaccines for more than 65 million people, supporting the delivery of vaccinations to millions more across the continent, including Zimbabwe, laying the groundwork for vaccine manufacturing in Africa through a focus on human capital development and strengthening the Africa CDC.
</blockquote>
He said during the 10-month implementation of the project they would train village health workers, ZRCS volunteers and influential people in communities with the aim of mobilising people to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Said Ibemene:
<blockquote>
By being closer to the people we would lessen the burden on villagers.
We want the COVID-19 service to get to the last mile, we want villagers to access the service.
</blockquote>
On 05 May 2023, the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency more than three years after its original declaration.
WHO, however, stressed that it does not mean the disease is no longer a global threat.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

New COVID-19 Vaccination Drive Targets Rural People

The government has reiterated its call for people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 amid a rise in new coronavirus infections.
New coronavirus infections more than doubled from 809 cases recorded in December 2022 to the current 1 923, with 17 people having succumbed to the disease in January this year.
Chief coordinator for the National Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Office of the President and Cabinet Dr. Agnes Mahomva said.
<blockquote>
We are observing an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases.
As Government, our message hasn’t changed, we continue to urge people to get vaccinated as that is the only effective way to safeguard ourselves from this pandemic.
</blockquote>
Mahomva said genomic sequencing is ongoing at the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory, and to date, no new variants have been detected. She added:
<blockquote>
Government continues to assess and monitor the situation on the ground daily, guided by both local and global data to provide timely and science-driven adjustments to the national response, where necessary.
Government also strengthened its case management systems by ensuring health facilities have adequate oxygen supplies and the medicines required for supportive care of identified positive cases requiring treatment.
This was mostly motivated by the fact that a lot of returning residents and some visitors were expected to travel back to Zimbabwe in large numbers, with some coming from countries experiencing an increase in the number of daily new cases.
</blockquote>
Since the onset of COVID-19 in March 2020, Zimbabwe has recorded 262 129 cases, including 255 181 recoveries and 5 656 deaths, with a recovery rate of 97 per cent. | <a href="https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/govt-pushes-for-vaccination-as-covid-19-cases-increase">The Sunday Mail</a>

COVID-19: Govt Urges Citizens To Be Vaccinated As Cases Rise

The government launched a polio vaccination campaign on Wednesday, 26 October targeting children under the age of five.
The first round of the polio vaccination campaign is scheduled to run between October 27 and October 30 and the second round will run from December 1 to December 4.
Health and Child Care Deputy Minister Dr. John Mangwiro said polio cases have been confirmed in neighbouring countries and there are high chances of cross-border spread of the disease. He said:
<blockquote>
We share strong social and economic activities with the affected countries, hence the vaccination drive to protect children below five years as they are at risk.
</blockquote>
Also speaking at the launch, World Health Organisation (WHO) country representative, Dr. Alex Gasasira, said:
<blockquote>
I am delighted that Zimbabwe has taken great strides to eliminate polio. Parents should take advantage of this initiative and present their children for vaccination regardless of their religion.
</blockquote>
Polio oral vaccine is free for every child and Zimbabwe has been polio-free since 1989.
<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/polio/what-is-polio/index.htm#:~:text=Updated%20August%2011%2C%202022,move%20parts%20of%20the%20body).">According to CDC</a> polio, or poliomyelitis, is a disabling and life-threatening disease caused by the poliovirus.
The virus spreads from person to person and can infect a person’s spinal cord, causing paralysis. 
| <a href="https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/new-govt-launches-polio-vaccination-campaign">The Sunday Mail</a>

Govt Launches Polio Vaccination Campaign

President Emmerson Mnangagwa has urged churches to ensure that all their members get their children vaccinated against diseases such as measles and polio.
He made the call while addressing ZANU PF supporters at Beaulieu Primary School in Mutasa South last week on Saturday. The President said:
<blockquote>
There are so many churches in the country and we work very well with them, especially the indigenous ones which preach the gospel of unity and love.
There is no church that we say is bigger than the other, even those with foreign origins.
While we work well with the indigenous churches, we tend to disagree with them over the issue of seeking medical attention for their children.
Tinozongopesana kana vati havajungwi, tinoti kwavari ah-ah, jungwai. We want lives to be saved regardless of our religious beliefs.
</blockquote>
A measles outbreak hit Mutasa District early this year and the virus has spread across the country.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care has since rolled out a nationwide measles vaccination programme targeting 95 percent of all children between the ages of six months and five years. | <a href="https://www.manicapost.co.zw/no-excuses-on-vaccination-president/">The Manica Post</a>

Mnangagwa Urges Indigenous Church Members To Get Their Children Immunised

The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has dismissed as false, social media reports claiming that police officers are blocking people without COVID-19 vaccination certificates from getting into Harare Central Business District.
ZRP national spokesman Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi told ZimFact that the reports are false. He said:
<blockquote>This is false information. I answered that question to journalists yesterday.</blockquote>
Earlier, Nick Mangwana, Permanent Secretary for Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, tweeted that the roadblocks had been mounted only because intercity travel had been banned under measures that were announced on 29 June. Said Mangwana:
<blockquote>On reports of long queues of vehicles bottlenecked at roadblocks trying to get into Harare, Mazowe and Mutoko are cases in point.
The short response is that intercity is banned fellow citizens. Very few people who are providing an essential service should be travelling.</blockquote>
COVID-19 vaccination certificates are not required when entering Harare, according to the police.
However, the police are enforcing COVID-19 regulations that restrict travel between cities to only essential services.
There is no legal basis for the police to demand proof of vaccination at checkpoints.
<h4>More: <a href="https://zimfact.org/police-say-no-demand-for-vaccination-cards-at-zrp-checkpoints/">ZimFact</a></h4>

Police Say No Requirement For Vaccination Cards At Roadblocks

The government has purchased 3.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from China’s Sinopharm and Sinovac and the shots are set to be delivered from July through September this year.
The 2 million doses from Sinovac and 1.5 million from Sinopharm are expected to help the country’s economic recovery by allowing businesses to operate, Finance and Economic Development Minister Mthuli Ncube told Bloomberg by phone on Wednesday.
The order will add to a separate batch of 2 million vaccine doses that have been bought from Sinovac and will be delivered this week.
Speaking during a post-Cabinet media briefing in Harare Tuesday, Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa said the government has put in place measures to procure more vaccines. She said:
<blockquote>Cabinet is pleased to report that measures have been put in place to increase the procurement of vaccines.
The following quantities of the COVID-19 vaccines have already been procured:
2 000 000 doses of Sinovac Vaccine by end of this week;
1 500 000 doses expected mid-July, 2021;
1 500 000 doses by August 2021; and\1 500 000 doses expected by September 2021.</blockquote>
Zimbabwe has so far received almost 3 million vaccine doses, including Sinopharm, Sinovac, Covaxin and Sputnik V.
By Tuesday 770 709 people had been given the first dose and 544 888 had received a second shot, according to Health Ministry data.
The government aims to vaccinate 10 million people out of its population of 15 million to achieve herd immunity.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/zimbabwe-to-get-3-5-million-vaccine-doses-from-july-to-september-1.1623519">Bloomberg</a></h4>

Zimbabwe To Get 3.5m Vaccine Doses From July To September

ZANU PF Masvingo Deputy Provincial Chairperson and Zaka North MP, Robson Mavhenyengwa, recently said COVID-19 vaccination slips will soon be used as gate passes to party meetings.
Mavhenyengwa made the remarks during a Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) meeting held at Great Zimbabwe University’s Julius Nyerere School of Social Sciences.
He urged the party leaders to lead by example and get vaccinated first so that they encourage their subordinates to get vaccinated. Said Mavhenyengwa:
<blockquote>You as the leadership should be vaccinated so that the people you lead will copy from you. How can you encourage people to be vaccinated when you are not?
Soon we will introduce a system where only those who have been vaccinated will be allowed into our meetings.
You will be asked to produce your vaccination slip here as proof to be admitted into the meetings.
If you cannot walk around with the slip you will have to scan it and bring the picture here on your phone.</blockquote>
Mavhenyengwa also warned party leadership against campaigning for positions (for Council and Parliament) saying it was too early for that and said they can only campaign for ZANU PF and the President.
The guest of honour at the event, Christopher Mutsvangwa who is a Politburo member and Secretary for Science and Technology praised the way people were being vaccinated in Zimbabwe saying a number of countries were admiring Zimbabwe in terms of the vaccination role out. He said:
<blockquote>Zimbabwe is among the few countries that have so far managed to vaccinate a huge number of people. Even the likes of Julius Malema from South Africa have acknowledged that. People in Australia and other European countries have acknowledged that.</blockquote>
Zimbabwe has so far inoculated 770 709, with 544 888 of those who have been vaccinated receiving the two jabs. The country is using Chinese developed COVID-19 vaccines, sinopharm and sinovac which are available for free to citizens.
<h4>More: <a href="http://www.tellzim.com/2021/06/covid-19-vaccination-slips-to-be.html">TellZim</a></h4>

COVID-19 Vaccination Slips To Be Passport For ZANU PF Meetings

The first man in the world to receive an approved COVID-19 vaccine, William Shakespeare has died.
Shakespeare has died aged 81 at University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire from a long illness unrelated to the novel coronavirus.
Bill, as he was known, made global headlines on so-called V-Day on December 8 when he received the Pfizer/BioNTech jab at the University Hospital Coventry.
The former Rolls Royce employee and parish councillor passed away last Thursday after a period of illness at the same hospital where he famously received his vaccine.
He leaves behind his wife Joy, their two adult sons and grandchildren.
When he received the Pfizer jab last year he had been an in-patient at the hospital’s frailty ward. He said after getting the historic drug that it was ‘wonderful’.
Shakespeare was the second person to get an approved vaccine after Margaret Keenan, 91, got hers at the same hospital moments earlier.
Both received the American-made Pfizer vaccine, which became the first jab candidate to seal approval for mass use by regulators in the UK in December.
<h4>More: <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9617383/First-man-world-approved-Covid-jab-dead-Brit-William-Shakespeare-died-81.html" rel="noopener" target="_blank">MailOnline</a></h4>

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