The reduction of COVID-19 cases in Zimbabwe is anchored on the uptake of the vaccine among other preventive measures.
Health experts are encouraging people to be vaccinated to ensure their safety by boosting their immunity to effectively fight the virus.
Government launched a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination programme on 18 February 2021, targeting frontline workers after receiving a donation of 200 000 doses of Sinopharm vaccine from China.
Immigration personnel who interface with a large number of travellers at ports of entry into the country on a daily basis were considered during the first phase of vaccination.
“We were are actually prioritized during phase one of the vaccination programme, Immigration personnel literally interfaces with everyone who passes through the border whether they are regular or irregular migrants,” said Ncube Assistant Regional Immigration Officer at Beitbridge Border.
“Movements before COVID-19 saw at least thirteen thousand people a day, passing through the border in December 2019 and in December 2020 seventy-three passed through as the COVID-19 cases spiked,” said Ncube
According to Ncube, said sixty-two out of eighty-two immigration personnel at the border post had been vaccinated.
“Immigration was considered amongst the first of people that took the vaccination, it was a great boost in the morale of the Officers.
“When the second phase of COVID-19 vaccination comes, those who are not vaccinated because of health conditions would suitably manage their circumstances that they would take up the vaccine,” said Ncube.
The National COVID-19 vaccination programme will be guided by a roll-out plan that provides a framework for designing strategies for the development, implementation and monitoring of the COVID-19 vaccination in the country.
