Yesterday, President Mnangagwa arrived at the airport to pick up yet another Covid-19 vaccination consignment, this time India is the donor. India has donated 70 000 Indian Covaxin vaccine consignments.
This donation is not the first of its kind. On March 16 the Zimbabwean President was at the airport receiving the second batch of consignments of the Sinopharm vaccines from China. This batch consisted of 400 000 doses of the vaccine. On this occasion the President highlighted that the fact that Zimbabwe is the first country to receive the second batch of vaccines from China attested to the strategic nature of their strong partnership.
India has managed to ship 35 000 of these vaccines. The remaining 40 000 are expected to arrive on a later undisclosed date.
President Mnangagwa took to Facebook to share the following sentiments:
“75,000 more #COVID19 vaccines for Zimbabweans!
Thank you to India and Prime Minister Modi for supplying this vital first shipment of Covaxin vaccines”
While some citizens were grateful for the efforts being made by the president, others expressed concern especially since countries like our neighbouring South Africa had put on hold the use of vaccines from India. Some might argue that the vaccines rejected by South Africa, Astraveneca vaccine is different from the Covaxin that arrived in Zimbabwe yesterday.
Despite the supposed differences in the aforementioned rejected vaccine and the Covaxin, Vinod K Paul, who heads a government panel on vaccine strategy in India compared the different vaccine and conclude that ‘No vaccine is a backup to the other – both vaccines are equally important, both vaccines are hugely immunogenic, they excite immunity against the virus’
On the other hand, some were quick to express that the nation should stop depending on vaccination donations and put to use the $100 million budget that the government was reported to have set aside for covid-19 vaccines in January.
On this matter, George Guvamatanga, secretary to the Finance ministry had told the Sunday Mail as the year began that:
“The Government has set aside US$100 million for the vaccines to procure around 20 million vaccine doses to immunise 60% of the population, which will help us attain herd immunity,”
Some wonder, why are these donations “vital” as the President stated, when the country has a $100 million budget set aside for the purpose of purchasing vaccines?
What are your thoughts on this vaccine donation?
Let us know in the comment section below.