By Sukuoluhle Ndlovu
Masvingo – Masvingo province is carrying out a 10-day Risk communication vaccination campaign in it’s urban and periphery rural areas.
The campaign began on Wednesday last week and is being facilitated by the Masvingo Covid-19 Risk Communication Committee.
The vaccination campaign is being supported by stakeholders which are the department of Health, Care International, Hevoi FM and the Zimbabwe Republic Police. Since the campaign, Mashava, Muchakata, Morgenster, Nemamwa and Masvingo urban.
The campaign is being held to encourage people to get vaccinated and demystify the myths around the issue of vaccination in the province.
The Masvingo Risk Spokesperson, Rodgers Irimayi said people are afraid of getting vaccinated due to circulating myths.
“We were sending out a powerful message encouraging people to get vaccinated, some people were really testifying that they were afraid to receive the vaccine because of the myths being spread on social media. The explanations given by the campaign team have managed to demystify the myths and many people were expressing their eagerness to get vaccinated.
The program will continue to reach out to other centres such as Bhuka, Gokomere and Masvingo Teacher’s College.
In a recent virtual workshop, Dr Agnes Mahomva advised people to get vaccinated as the jab stimulate and create ones anti-bodies to fight against the virus and become immune and this is not a death sentence.
In interviews carried out with people in Masvingo it showed how people are now better equipped with the necessary information and now see the need to be vaccinated.
Sam Mahuni said that information is key as this will make people have a better understanding of the vaccination issue.
“When the vaccination program started, people were afraid and l was one of them, information came at a later stage and people had already been fed with information on the social media. The continued sharing of information is helping people and that is why we are witnessing long queues at vaccination centres in the province. Now people know what they are getting themselves into and hence the rush to get the vaccine,” he said.
According to the Ministry of Information and Child Care statistics, 2 312 417 people have been vaccinated for the first dose while 1 460 162 have been vaccinated for the second dose.
