Source: Govt makes strides in reducing zero dose –Newsday Zimbabwe
HEALTH expert and Chegutu district medical officer Sandra Mhuriro has said not achieving 100% vaccination for children has implications that can be costly.
Speaking to journalists during a media tour of the district recently, Mhuriro said they were making progress as some, including die-hard apostolic sect members, were warming up to getting their children vaccinated.
Zero-dose children are those who have not received even a single vaccine shot since birth.
“The risks of not achieving 100% immunisation in a community are behind mobility and mortality,” Mhuriro said.
“Not only to those who are not vaccinated, but they can also spread to others who will also be vaccinated.
“Besides high mobility, high mortality, high morbidity, and cost as well.”
She added: “It’s expensive. Getting sick is expensive and we are talking about impoverished communities.
“When they get sick, it’s really difficult for them, and now it’s more expensive for them to come.
“It is expensive on them, expensive on the institution, expensive on the ministry as well.”
Mhuriro said the Zero Dose project, being spearheaded by Crown Agents and Gavi, is implemented in 24 facilities in the district, where they are identifying children who have not received BCG vaccination, Measles Rubella (MR1 and 2) as well as other vaccines.
“There is community engagement, going to the community. They partner the headsmen, all the community leaders, local leaders as well and they go into the community, they give health education, they identify the children who have not received the vaccinations or who are behind on vaccinations and then they refer them to the clinics.”
Mhuriro said before the zero-doses and the EPI projects began, Chegutu was one of the 20 districts that were lagging behind in terms of immunisation.
“Now our performance has really improved and we are reporting percentage coverage of more than 93% in our vaccinations, which was less than 80% back in 2020. So, I think it’s quite an improvement,” she said.
She said there was, however, a notable improvement with apostolic sects that are against vaccination and medical care, with some members opting to have their children vaccinated.
“Sometimes they just come and tell us the time to come and they can say, let’s meet behind that bush over there. They will bring their children, but they told me not to document anything.
“They now want their children to get vaccinated, but maybe the head of the families wouldn’t approve of that.
But the mothers are actually quite forthcoming these days. The problem is really getting smaller and smaller.
“Though we are not there yet, We still have a lot of work to do, but there’s a bit of improvement.”
Mhuriro also cited social media as a threat to achieving maximum coverage in vaccinations and also as a force behind the zero doses.
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