By Staff Reporter
Vice President Constantino Chiwenga who doubles as the Minister of Health and Child Care has reiterated that COVID-19 vaccination will be for free to all willing citizens.
His remarks follow a public outcry triggered by reports which say professor Mthuli Ncube, the Minister of Finance and Economic Development had said private citizens would have to pay for vaccination.
Ncube has since issued a statement saying his remarks were taken out of proportion adding that COVID-19 vaccination will be for free.
Speaking during a virtual conference to mark the World Cancer Day commemorations earlier on Thursday, Chiwenga said:
The Government of Zimbabwe will roll out Covid-19 vaccines for free, to all our citizens who may wish to be vaccinated.
Ncube’s remarks had triggered outrage with some claiming that political elites were now plotting to abuse COVID-19 vaccines adding that the poor will not afford the vaccines.
Others had said the government did not understand the herd immunity or community immunity concept. Herd immunity happens when a large part of the population of an area is immune to a specific disease.
If enough people are resistant to the cause of a disease, such as a virus or bacteria, it has nowhere to go. While not every single individual may be immune, the group as a whole has protection.
More: Ministry of Health and Child Care
