HARARE – Zimbabwe started giving COVID-19 vaccinations Thursday, with Vice President Constantino Chiwenga volunteering for the first jab at a hospital in the capital, Harare. “I will show you,” Chiwenga said to laughter while unbuttoning his shirt.
Zimbabwe is starting its rollout with China's Sinopharm vaccine and Chiwenga said he took the first shot to “exhibit the government’s confidence" in the inoculation.
Zimbabwe received 200,000 doses of Sinopharm on Monday as a donation from China's government, joining Egypt and Equatorial Guineas as the first few African countries to get the vaccine.
Another 600,000 Sinopharm doses purchased by the Zimbabwean government are expected to arrive early next month, according to government officials.