Covid-19: Zimbabwe takes delivery of Chinese vaccine as it snubs Covax

Zimbabwe will start taking delivery of a Chinese Covid-19 vaccine next week  as it seeks to avoid a third wave of the pandemic.

The country is emerging from a second wave of the Covid-19 outbreak that began in January and saw the deaths of hundreds of people, including three Cabinet ministers.

Authorities say a third wave is likely unless an aggressive vaccination programme is implemented soon.

China pledged  to donate 200 000 of its Sinopharm vaccine to the southern African country, which on Wednesday  said it was buying more doses from Beijing.

According to a vaccination roll out plan presented in Cabinet this week, Zimbabwe mainly wants to get its vaccines from China, Russia and India.

It has also enrolled for the African Union's vaccines programme, but it is reluctant  to sign up for the World Health Organisation (WHO) backed Covax facility.

The Covax facility is meant to assist the world’s poor countries to access Covid-19 vaccines for free.

Zimbabwe says it wants to vaccinate at least 60 percent of the population or 10 million people to reach herd immunity and the doses from China will kick-start the vaccination campaign.

"In terms of vaccines procurement, the government of the People's Republic of China extended a donation of 200 000 Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine doses," Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa told journalists in Harare.

"The donation and initial batch purchased are expected in Zimbabwe by February 15, 2021 and the first week of March 2021, respectively," she added.

"Meanwhile, efforts to procure other Covid-19 vaccines such as the Sputnik V from Russia are underway.

"India, like China, has also offered a donation and an option to purchase commercially and the modalities for the offer are still being worked out."

Zimbabwe had also submitted its expression of interest to participate under the AU vaccination programme, Mrs Mutsvangwa said.

The vaccination plan, however, does not mention the Covax facility where Zimbabwe is guaranteed three million doses to cover 20 percent of the population.

Some government officials accuse the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe’s  former colonial power and key Covax funder, of trying to arm  twist President Emmerson Mnangagwa's government into signing up for the facility.

"Zimbabwe will take decisions independently in the national interest," Mrs Mutsvangwa said without elaborating.

The British embassy in Harare said Zimbabwe will not be forced to join Covax and the doses set aside for the country will be given to other beneficiaries.

"An initial allocation of 1.15 million doses has been set aside for Zimbabwe before July," the embassy said.

"These vaccines will be free of charge.

"The UK doesn't benefit from Zimbabwe taking part, indeed if Zimbabwe does not take up the vaccines, that allocation will go to another country."

The government says it has set aside $100 million for the purchase of vaccines and has appealed to the private sector to help finance  the vaccination  programme.

As of February 9, Zimbabwe had recorded 34 781 Covid-19 cases with 1 353 deaths and 29 289 recoveries.

The number of infections has been going down significantly in recent days following a tight national lockdown imposed at the beginning of the year.