Zimbabwe’s President, Emmerson Mnangagwa is encouraging people to have their Covid booster jabs, stating there are sufficient vaccines for all citizens.

“Booster shots are available, and they are for free, people should go and get vaccinated,” Mnangagwa said whilst speaking to a Zanu PF politburo meeting in Harare.

The President’s statement came at the same time as the detection of a new IHU coronavirus variant in France, which is said to have 46 mutations, yet concerns have been downplayed by the World Health Organization.

The executive director of Community Working Group, Itai Rusike said: “While vaccines might be available at urban health institutions, there is need to address vaccine equity in remote locations such as rural communities, farming, mining and resettlement areas. Government should also make it public that people can get booster shots and stipulate the eligible people to get them.”

He added that Zimbabwe’s government should also tackle the issue of supply and demand to deal with stock shortages: “It is also important for government to clarify if one can mix and match brands of the COVID-19 vaccines such as Sinopharm and Sinovac in order to avoid confusion. It is also equally important for government to explain the importance of the additional third dose and any side effects that may result in order to gain the confidence of the population,” Rusike added.

Moreover, president of the Medical and Dental Private Practitioners of Zimbabwe Association, Johannes Marisa commented: “Zimbabwe has since the last six months never run short of vaccines. People are the ones that are running away from the vaccines.”

Booster shots are available, said deputy health minister, John Mangwiro, who warned that people shouldn’t panic over new coronavirus variants: “Booster shots are available. If there is a hospital that does not have any, they should inform their provincial districts. Otherwise, booster shots are available, and we are actually encouraging Zimbabweans to come and get vaccinated,” he said.