Health experts from Zvishavane have urged people to get vaccinated so that the area reaches herd immunity.
Speaking during the Zvishavane -Towards herd immunityvirtual conference hosted by YAFM and great dyke TV today, Dr. Wilson Mupariwa of the Midlands State University said they are trying their level best to ensure that Zvishavane reaches about 60 to 70 percent of herd immunity.
“In Midlands we have seen an increase in the number of people who were vaccinated, so it was quiet a positive initiative and we had very good numbers compared to other districts.
“However our numbers are not where we wish to be, there are still a lot of people that are still speculating and are being scared to get vaccinated but we need to find ways of motivating people going forward.
“We need to approach all religious sectors encouraging them to get vaccinated and us as doctors we are also encouraging our staff and our students so that they get vaccinated so thatwe can increase our numbers.
“We need to prevent Covid 19 deaths, we need to prevent lockdowns, and closure of schools and the only solution is for everyone to be vaccinated,” he said.
He added that, “the direction that we want is to be able to motivate our communities and our population from different sectors.
“We also do some engagements with our fellow workers educating them about the benefits of vaccination and we have managed to create a demand for vaccination.
“The good part about vaccination is that once you get vaccinated, your chances of dying are very slim and it is a very good way of preventing the disease.”
Speaking during the same conference, Zvishavane District Health Promotions Officer Dean Durrel Cheza said Zvishavane has so far vaccinated 10.7 percent of thepopulation adding that there is need to increase the percentageby August 2021.
“The single steps that we are going to be taking are going to have an impact in Zvishavane, as of now we had 14 330 people who received their first dose while 9362 people received their second doses which is about 10.7 percent of the population.
“So we still have a long way to go so as to achieve her immunity and about 50 to 60 percent must be vaccinated so that we enjoy the fruits of vaccination.
“For us to get there, we need people to understand what we are trying to say when we say herd immunity.
“If you get vaccinated it means you are going to be protected against covid 19 and we are hoping that the numbers will increase.
“It takes me and you to make sure that we achieve herd immunity, if we reach 60 to 70 percent herd immunity, it means we are good to go.
“As you noticed, the number are increasing and we are still at risk, so we have to take extra measures to protect ourselvesfrom the pandemic,” he said.
Herd immunity occurs when a large portion of a community (the herd) becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. As a result, the whole community becomes protected not just those who are immune.
Often, a percentage of the population must be capable of getting a disease in order for it to spread. This is called a threshold proportion. If the proportion of the population that is immune to the disease is greater than this threshold, the spread of the disease will decline. This is known as the herd immunity threshold.
The country yesterday recorded 1357 new Covid-19 cases and 19 deaths bringing the total number of active cases to 10 002 and deaths to 1808.
Positivity rate was 12.4 percent and of the new cases, 1344 were local while 13 were deportees from Botswana. The seven day rolling average for new cases rose to 987 from 912 the previous day.
The Ministry of Health and Child Care noted that the number of hospital admissions had also increased to 382 with 35 new admissions, 73 asymptomatic cases, 238 mild to moderate cases, 55 severe cases and 16 in Intensive Care Units.
Meanwhile, the country is currently under an enhanced level four lockdown, which will be in place for the next two weeks pending review. Government will also soon embark on a vaccination blitz to ensure that citizens in border towns and cities, grain marketing depots, cotton and tobacco depots, people’s markets as well as all hotspots are vaccinated.
Hotspot areas include Kariba, Karoi, Chinhoyi, Chidamoyoand Magunje in Mashonaland West, Kwekwe , Zvishavane and Gweru in Midlands, Mazowe in Mashonaland Central, Marondera in Mashonaland East, Bikita and Masvingo in Masvingo Province, Emakhandeni, Nkulumane and Northern Suburbs in Bulawayo as well as Harare which recorded the highest number of cases yesterday with 253 cases.
