Scores turn up for ZDF Covid-19 vaccination outreach programme

Over 200 Emgwanwini and Cowdray Park residents, Tuesday, received their Covid-19 jabs during a Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) community outreach Covid-19 vaccination programme.

The community outreach targeting all adults above the age of 18 is being conducted by ZDF in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Child Care and the Bulawayo City Council (BCC)

It will run until Friday with the vaccination sites being the Cowdray Park – Hlalani Kuhle Consortium office and Emganwini Food for Less Shopping Centre.

The vaccination sites are offering both first and second doses.

Speaking to CITE, a resident from Emganwini, Principal Matshelela urged people to get vaccinated as the pandemic had claimed many lives in the country.

"People have to understand that Covid-19 kills. Let us all go out and get vaccinated, this will protect our families and friends," he said.

Mgcini Ncube from Cowdray Park commended the military for the vaccination outreach program as they had few vaccination centres in the suburb.

"We would like to thank the military for coming to vaccinate us, in Cowdray Park, we had a challenge of overpopulation at Cowdray Park clinic since it was the only place providing the vaccine," said Ncube.

"We hope that if people get vaccinated, things will go back to normal."

Meanwhile, ZDF senior medical doctor, Dr Absolom Dube said by midday, they had already vaccinated 110 people in Cowdray Park.
Cowdray Park vaccination site

"We have been here in Cowdray Park for the last two days, this is our second day, as of yesterday we vaccinated about 50 people, and today as of afternoon we have vaccinated about 110 people," said Dr Dube

He said the sites were chosen through collaboration with BCC based on population size.  

Dr Dube added that as of yesterday, they had vaccinated 139 people combining Cowdray Park and Emganwini centres, "but it was our first day and possibly the community was not aware of the vaccination program at the doorsteps."

He said they are looking forward to vaccinating as many people as they can during the community outreach program.

"For a day, we are targeting as much as people would come, we can't close and say we are targeting this much, but if we get people may be up to five o'clock, so to speak, we will continue with the program until we clear off the queues, mind you the vaccinations have to be taken back for the refrigeration, so we can go up to 400-500 depending on numbers that we can get," said Dr. Dube.