BY HARRIET CHIKANDIWA Institute for Community Development in Zimbabwe (ICOD-Zim) has urged government to provide information on the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines and the possible implications on persons with disabilities. ICOD-Zim said government should address this issue as a matter of urgency. “The government to immediately provide (information) on the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines with emphasis on the possible implications to persons with disabilities, especially those with mental challenges and others already battling with other chronic illnesses,” ICOD-Zim said in a statement yesterday. Government this week received 200 000 doses of the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine from China to inoculate health workers, who have been designated as the key priority group. MPs on Tuesday quizzed Vice-President and Health minister Constantino Chiwenga on the virus, which they claimed had been donated to the country as a test run. ICOD-Zim also urged government to urgently engage institutions of and persons with disabilities to discuss how they can be included in the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out programme. “The government and other stakeholders in the frontline of COVID-19 response to timely disseminate correct and reliable COVID-19 information in disability accessible formats such as braille, large print and videos with captions and sign language,” ICOD-Zim said. “The relevant ministries need to help demystify various misconceptions amplified on social media platforms around the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine for various groups of people in their diversity and the government to facilitate the realisation and enjoyment of the right to health for persons with disabilities in accordance to section 83 of the Constitution by prioritising this group in the vaccination (programme).” Follow Harriet on Twitter @harrietchikand1