HARARE – Zimbabwe is recalling retired nurses to administer Covid-19 vaccines, and health workers will now be paid allowances based on the number of people they vaccinate, ministers said on Tuesday.

The health ministry set a target of inoculating 10 million of the country’s 15 million people, but the push has been sluggish with only 4 percent of the population fully vaccinated since the programme was launched in February.

Speaking at the end of a cabinet meeting, information minister Monica Mutsvangwa said to reach the target of achieving herd immunity by December 31, ministers agreed to “review payment model of allowances for the vaccinators to be based on the number of persons vaccinated” and “the Health Services Board has written to Treasury seeking concurrence to recruit retired nurses to participate in the vaccination programme.”

Many Zimbabweans have been frustrated by long queues at vaccination centres. Many are turned away after being told that the vaccination centres can only administer jabs to a limited number of people per day.

Other strategies, according to Mutsvangwa, will include using non-medical staff such as data capturers to free-up nurses so that they concentrate on vaccination; availing vaccines to private hospitals and clinics; extending vaccination programme to clinics in colleges and universities and roping in more soldiers to administer jabs.

On Monday, the ministry of health said 1,674,710 people had received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and 798,880 were now fully vaccinated after receiving their second dose.

Mutsvangwa said Zimbabwe would this month receive 2.5 million vaccines through direct purchase from China, and a further 3.5 million doses in September through the United Nations’ COVAX facility ZIMLIVE

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