Zimbabwe renews COVID vaccination drive, targets schoolkids

By FARAI MUTSAKA
Associated Press

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Zimbabwe has launched a new COVID-19 vaccination campaign that includes jabbing children aged 12 and above to rescue a drive faltering due to vaccine hesitancy and complacency. This week schools in the southern African country have become vaccination zones with children in school uniforms lining up to get the injections. Many parents say they support the vaccination drive to prevent schools from becoming centers of infection, although others remain skeptical. Vice President Constantino Chiwenga, who is also the country’s health minister, said adults are also being targeted in the vaccination campaign which will run until mid-May. About 23% of Zimbabwe’s 15 million people have received two jabs, mostly of the Chinese Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines.