Zimbabwean doctors give Sinopharm vaccine thumbs up

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IANS | 28 Feb, 2021
Some Zimbabwean doctors who are part of the frontline workers inoculated with their first doses of the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine donated by China, have said it is safe, and also encouraged others to get the jab, the media reported.

Epidemiologist and director of health for Kadoma City Daniel Chirundu told The Herald newspaper that he had taken the vaccine for a number of reasons, Xinhua news agency reported on Sunday.

"I took the Sinopharm vaccine to protect myself, those I work with and our clients. My vaccination also served as a cue for action among my subordinates and others who are now demanding it. It has been three days and I have not experienced any side effects," he said.

Chirundu urged all Zimbabweans to accept vaccination if eligible.

He also encouraged Zimbabweans to continue wearing clean face masks the proper way, practicing social distance and hand hygiene (washing hands with soap and clean water).

"This is the only other non-pharmaceutical tool that is now available to complement our toolbox," he said.

Misheck Ruwende, a doctor at Bulawayo's Mpilo Central Hospital, said some people were anxious because Covid-19 was a novel disease and that vaccines were developed in a short period of time.

"That is not enough reason for people to say 'I should not take it.' It is just some of the steps that were supposed to be done as ABCD, that is B to come after A and C to come after B. It was now done as A along with B along with C. Remember people were dying and vaccine producers had to give way to all this so that vaccines come out early," he explained.

Ruwende added that the other challenge was that people are getting themselves involved in the geo-politics happening between the Western and Eastern countries.

Ruwende added that many Zimbabwean doctors were getting vaccinated.

"Even where I work, many doctors are getting vaccinated. So if doctors are leading, they know best about the side effects, about vaccines, and if they are giving us a good example, there is no need for people to be hesitant to take the vaccine," he said.