President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Wednesday received his first COVID-19 jab as he launched the second phase of Zimbabwe’s vaccination programme.
Speaking during the launch, Mnangagwa implored his compatriots to get vaccinated to ensure that the country achieves “herd immunity” of at least 60 percent of the population.
“Let me reiterate the global call by the World health Organisation that ‘No one is safe, until everyone is safe’.
“I therefore challenge all of us in our respective communities to accept the vaccination programme and to shun vaccine hesitancy, misinformation and the negative conspiracy theories,” Mnangagwa said.
The vaccination programme, which started in mid-February when Vice President Constantino Chiwenga became the first person to receive the jab, has been mired by lack of trust in the process by Zimbabweans which has been fuelled by conspiracy theories.
“Getting vaccinated is a personal and a family responsibility as well as a national obligation,” Mnangagwa said.
The second phase of the vaccination programme is targeting teachers, tobacco merchants, hospitality industry workers and retailers.
The first phase, which kicked off on February 18 and targeted frontline workers such as medical personnel, security forces, officials at ports of entry and the media, saw about 43,000 people being inoculated against COVID-19.
JN/APA