News / National
Blood, swab tests for Covid-19 vaccine-takers
10 Feb 2021 at 05:38hrs | Views
BLOOD and swab tests will be conducted for members of the public who will voluntarily take the Covid-19 vaccine which Government will start rolling out free of charge. Identification documentation will be required to help Government gather data for the assessment of the roll out.
Those who access the "scientifically ascertained to be safe vaccine" will also be asked to note down any changes and side effects before the second dose which will be done after 28-30 days. The Ministry of Health and Child Care will also publish venues, dates and times where these vaccines will be voluntarily accessible countrywide.
Covid-19 which continues to spread in Zimbabwe has claimed the lives of 1 326 people. So far, as at February 8, Zimbabwe had 34 658 confirmed cases, including 28 825 recoveries and 4 494 active cases. Statistics show that 3,86 percent of the infected people in Zimbabwe have died, 12,97 percent of the infected are still sick while 83,17 percent have recovered.
Vaccines, as proven in other countries where they have been rolled out, have helped people to fight off illness.
The Centre of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says vaccines in themselves do not offer 100 percent protection as members of the public will still be expected to wear masks, social distance and wash their hands regularly.
For one to understand how the Covid-19 vaccines work, they need to first look at how bodies fight illness says the CDC. When germs, such as the virus that causes Covid-19, invade bodies, they attack and multiply and that invasion is called an infection, which causes illness.
The immune system then uses several tools to fight infection and these include red blood cells, which carry oxygen to tissues and organs, and the white or immune cells, which fight infection. CDC says vaccines help people's bodies develop immunity to the virus that causes Covid-19 without one having to get the illness.
However, it is possible that a person could be infected with the virus that causes Covid-19 just before or just after vaccination and then get sick because the vaccine would not have had enough time to provide protection.
The first time a person is infected with the virus that causes Covid-19, it can take several days or weeks for their body to make and use all the germ-fighting tools needed to get over the infection.
After the infection, the person's immune system remembers what it learned about how to protect the body against that disease.
Together, Covid-19 vaccination and following CDC's recommendations to protect oneself and others will offer the best protection from the pandemic. In an update yesterday, deputy Minister of Health and Childcare Dr John Mangwiro said all is set for the vaccine roll out.
He said the ministry will avail dates soon and advised members of the public to prepare for the rollout which will target frontline workers, the vulnerable and those living with comorbidities.
Comorbidities are underlying conditions which make people more prone to Covid-19 like diabetes, hypertension and asthma. The deputy minister also said dates and venues will soon be publicised so that members of the public know where to access the vaccine.
"This vaccine is going to be free of charge and on a voluntary basis those who want would get it. However, we encourage people to get the vaccine as scientists point to the fact that it is helpful where it has been rolled out," said Dr Mangwiro.
"For preparation we need data on those who will get the injection including their identification on the day and we will collect blood samples before they get their first doses to see if they have antibodies. We will also need swabs to check if they have the diseases in their nostrils before they get the injection," he said.
Dr Mangwiro said members of the public who get the jab must be diligent in noting and documenting any change they will experience before getting the second dose.
"For the second dose which should be conducted after 28 to 30 days, members of the public will need to bring a summary of how they reacted and if they developed any side effects after the first injection. We will document all the details which will be useful for our assessment," added Dr Mangwiro.
He also said the National Vaccine Deployment Framework has also been finalised and the initial objective is to inoculate at least 60 percent of the population to achieve population immunity.
Those who access the "scientifically ascertained to be safe vaccine" will also be asked to note down any changes and side effects before the second dose which will be done after 28-30 days. The Ministry of Health and Child Care will also publish venues, dates and times where these vaccines will be voluntarily accessible countrywide.
Covid-19 which continues to spread in Zimbabwe has claimed the lives of 1 326 people. So far, as at February 8, Zimbabwe had 34 658 confirmed cases, including 28 825 recoveries and 4 494 active cases. Statistics show that 3,86 percent of the infected people in Zimbabwe have died, 12,97 percent of the infected are still sick while 83,17 percent have recovered.
Vaccines, as proven in other countries where they have been rolled out, have helped people to fight off illness.
The Centre of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says vaccines in themselves do not offer 100 percent protection as members of the public will still be expected to wear masks, social distance and wash their hands regularly.
For one to understand how the Covid-19 vaccines work, they need to first look at how bodies fight illness says the CDC. When germs, such as the virus that causes Covid-19, invade bodies, they attack and multiply and that invasion is called an infection, which causes illness.
The immune system then uses several tools to fight infection and these include red blood cells, which carry oxygen to tissues and organs, and the white or immune cells, which fight infection. CDC says vaccines help people's bodies develop immunity to the virus that causes Covid-19 without one having to get the illness.
However, it is possible that a person could be infected with the virus that causes Covid-19 just before or just after vaccination and then get sick because the vaccine would not have had enough time to provide protection.
The first time a person is infected with the virus that causes Covid-19, it can take several days or weeks for their body to make and use all the germ-fighting tools needed to get over the infection.
After the infection, the person's immune system remembers what it learned about how to protect the body against that disease.
Together, Covid-19 vaccination and following CDC's recommendations to protect oneself and others will offer the best protection from the pandemic. In an update yesterday, deputy Minister of Health and Childcare Dr John Mangwiro said all is set for the vaccine roll out.
He said the ministry will avail dates soon and advised members of the public to prepare for the rollout which will target frontline workers, the vulnerable and those living with comorbidities.
Comorbidities are underlying conditions which make people more prone to Covid-19 like diabetes, hypertension and asthma. The deputy minister also said dates and venues will soon be publicised so that members of the public know where to access the vaccine.
"This vaccine is going to be free of charge and on a voluntary basis those who want would get it. However, we encourage people to get the vaccine as scientists point to the fact that it is helpful where it has been rolled out," said Dr Mangwiro.
"For preparation we need data on those who will get the injection including their identification on the day and we will collect blood samples before they get their first doses to see if they have antibodies. We will also need swabs to check if they have the diseases in their nostrils before they get the injection," he said.
Dr Mangwiro said members of the public who get the jab must be diligent in noting and documenting any change they will experience before getting the second dose.
"For the second dose which should be conducted after 28 to 30 days, members of the public will need to bring a summary of how they reacted and if they developed any side effects after the first injection. We will document all the details which will be useful for our assessment," added Dr Mangwiro.
He also said the National Vaccine Deployment Framework has also been finalised and the initial objective is to inoculate at least 60 percent of the population to achieve population immunity.
Source - chronicle
