Zimbabwe authorizes use of 2 more COVID-19 vaccines

By Jeffrey Moyo

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AA) - ​​​​​​​Zimbabwe has authorized the emergency use of Russia’s Sputnik V and China’s Sinovac vaccines against the coronavirus.

This was announced by Zimbabwe’s Information Minister Monica Mutsvangwa at a late-night post-Cabinet news briefing on Tuesday.

Last month, Zimbabwe began its COVID-19 vaccination program soon after receiving a donation of 200,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine from China. Zimbabwe also approved the use of India’s Covaxin vaccine last week.

Meanwhile, the Medicines Control Authority of Zimbabwe also authorized the use of Sinopharm and Sinovac shots from China, Russia’s Sputnik V and India’s Covaxin, according to Minister Mutsvangwa.

“All COVID-19 approved vaccines will be procured through the National Vaccine Procurement Fund managed by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development,” said Mutsvangwa.

The Zimbabwean government aims to vaccinate more than 9 million of its citizens as the government awaits 600,000 Sinopharm doses bought from China.

With a population of 15 million people, Zimbabwe has so far recorded a total of 36,321 coronavirus cases, including 1,489 deaths.