(Last Updated on January 31, 2021 by GERALD NCUBE)
HARARE – Zimbabwe has US$100 million set aside to procure Covid-19 vaccines as the authorities target herd immunity, an official from the Treasury said.
Permanent Secretary in the Finance Ministry George Guvamatanga said the country plans to secure vaccines enough for 60%of the population.
“The government has set aside US100 million for the vaccines to procure around 20 million vaccine doses to immunise 60 percent of the population which will help us attain herd immunity,” he was quoted in the State-controlled papers.
Guvamatanga said it was only a matter of redirecting funds from the budget, adding that the country also had a budget surplus from last year.
“So we are now waiting for the scientists to tell us which vaccine to buy and where to procure it from,” added Guvamatanga.
The country is also set to receive a share of vaccines through the World Health Organisation led Covax scheme which is targeting low-income countries.
Last week, President Emmerson Mnangagwa told the country that help was on the way and echoed the sentiments by his deputy and Health Minister Constantino Chiwenga that the country was soon going to roll out the vaccination plan after recommendations from experts who are said to be monitoring and assessing the various vaccines.
To date, Zimbabwe has recorded 33 273 positive cases and 1193 deaths as the country and the world battle the second wave of the pandemic.