By PRESTIGE MUNTANGA Bulawayo City Council (BCC) in collaboration with the Health and Child Care ministry has launched a COVID-19 vaccination campaign in an effort to increase uptake of the inoculation programme. The campaign comes amid reports that some residents were sceptical about the programme due to conspiracy theories proffered on social media, including the myth that vaccines are not safe. BCC started its vaccination rollout on February 23, which saw various frontline workers including journalists being vaccinated. In a statement last Wednesday, town clerk Christopher Dube said COVID-19 vaccines were distributed to all council clinics. “The City of Bulawayo in conjunction with the Ministry of Health and Child Care is conducting a COVID-19 vaccination campaign. “As per the Health and Child Care ministry rollout plan, the following residents above 18 years of age are currently eligible for COVID-19 vaccination,” Dube said. He said frontline workers, those with chronic illnesses, and the elderly, above 60 years, school and college staff and security personnel were eligible to be vaccinated. “The COVID-19 vaccine will be given out to all municipal clinics which include Njube, Northern Suburbs, E F Watson, Magwegwe, Pumula, Nkulumane, Nketa, Dr Shennan, Khami Road Clinic, Mzilikazi, Entumbane, Princess Margaret Rose, Emakhandeni, Cowdray Park, Pumula South, Luvele, Maqhawe, Tshabalala and Pelandaba, United Bulawayo Hospitals, Mpilo Central Hospital and Mater Dei Hospital.” However, the campaign has been very slow due to lack of information among the residents especially in the high-density suburbs.

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