WHO Recommends Groundbreaking Malaria Vaccine For Children At Risk

THE World Health Organization (WHO) is recommending widespread use of the RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S) malaria vaccine among children in sub-Saharan Africa and in other regions with moderate to high P. falciparum malaria transmission. The recommendation is based on results from an ongoing pilot programme in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi that has reached more than 800 000 children since 2019. HealthTimes Reporter “This is a historic moment. The long-awaited malaria vaccine for children is a breakthrough for science, child health and malaria control,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Using this…

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MSF Turns Heat On Global Leaders To Ensure Equitable Vaccines Distribution

THE Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is capitalising on the ongoing United Nations (UN) General Assembly to pressure leading global leaders and vaccines manufacturers to remove restrictions on vaccines access for low and middle income countries. By Michael Gwarisa Dr. Maria Guevara, the MSF International Medical Secretary who is attending the UN general assembly  highlighted the urgent need for concrete  actions that should be taken to turn a corner on the COVID-19 pandemic. The global response to the pandemic has failed to deliver equal and equitable access to date, with the…

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Zimbabwe Vaccine Uptake Jump Fourfold In 24 Hours

LOCAL vaccination numbers for the first dose quadrupled over the past 24 hours as government scales up vaccination in COVID-19  hot-spots. By Staff Reporter According to vaccination data from Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC), the number of people who received the first dose rose from  2 157 on June 22, 2021 to 8 898 on June 23, 2021. 8 898 received their 1st dose today bringing cumulative for 1st dose to 715 056 while 11 573 received their 2nd dose bringing cumulative for 2nd dose to 451 793.”…

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Zim to receive more 500 000 vaccine doses

ZIMBABWE is set to receive 500 000 Sinopharm vaccine doses which were procured from China in June to boost the vaccination programme which is currently underway in the country. By Patricia Mashiri Speaking during a Cabinet briefing Senator Monica Mutsvagwa,  the Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services said they were expecting the vaccines in the country next month. Regarding vaccine procurement, the public is informed that delivery of the 500 000 Sinopharm vaccine doses which were ordered from China is expected in June. “Government continues to urge the public…

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Indian Variant Detected In Four People In South Africa, Here Is Why Zim Should Be On High Alert

BARELY a week after South Africa’s health minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize assured his nation that they need not to worry about the highly virulent Indian variant, the triple mutant specie has been detected in at least four people in South Africa. By Michael Gwarisa The South African Department of Health confirmed that the variant dominant in India had been detected in South Africa yesterday while a further 11 people also tested positive for the variant first detected in the UK. The four people who tested positive have a history of…

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#BREAKING: WHO Approves Sinopharm Vaccine For Emergency Use

WHO today listed the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use, giving the green light for this vaccine to be rolled out globally. The Sinopharm vaccine is produced by Beijing Bio-Institute of Biological Products Co Ltd, subsidiary of China National Biotec Group (CNBG). WHO Communication “The addition of this vaccine has the potential to rapidly accelerate COVID-19 vaccine access for countries seeking to protect health workers and populations at risk,” said Dr Mariângela Simão, WHO Assistant-Director General for Access to Health Products. We urge the manufacturer to participate in the COVAX…

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#LongReadAhead: Vaccines Efficacy And Effectiveness Explained

Dr Tinashe Gede

THE arrival of the coronavirus on our shores has to a larger extent planted an appetite for reading and commenting around health-related issues even amongst non-medical people. All of a sudden everyone is now a public health or medical analyst and this is largely due to information gaps present in our communities. By Michael Gwarisa The World Health Organisation (WHO) identified information and communication as a key pillar to the pandemic response amongst the eight pillars the world heath body has set. However, when not managed and disseminated well, information…

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Mutare Hospitality Industry Welcomes Vaccination

THE tourism industry in Mutare has embraced the national vaccination programme as the second phase of the vaccination is slowly gathering momentum across the country. By Patricia Mashiri John Mugwagwa, the Chief Executive Officer Skyview hotel said they work with a lot of people in the tourism industry therefore this is a chance for them to protect themselves as. He also mentioned that the vaccine came as a Messiah as they were long waiting for solution to the COVID-19 pandemic. I saw our leaders getting vaccinated and I felt I…

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Demystifying COVID-19 Vaccines

THE world has fought several plagues and pandemics over centuries, some of which even threatened to wipe out the whole of mankind. Nature somehow found its way of defeating the infectious pathogens and the human race survived. About a century ago, the world also battled the Spanish Flu pandemic, and there are hardly any survivors to narrate the ordeal, but we know that it was also a very bad pandemic. By Dr Grant Murewanhema Now, coming to the COVID-19 global epidemic which was declared a pandemic just over a year…

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Zimbabwe Doctor Uses Social Media To Dispel Vaccine Fears

A local medical doctor, epidemiologist and Public Health experts, Dr Grant Murewanehma has taken it upon himself to use his social media presence to raise awareness around the ongoing COVID-19 national vaccination drive in a bid to dispel myths and conspiracies around the vaccine. By Michael Gwarisa Zimbabwe received its first consignment of 200 000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine a fortnight ago and according to the Zimbabwean government, the first phase of the vaccination program is targeting frontline workers such as health care workers, educators, customs and clearance personnel,…

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