Zimbabwe has received 200 000 doses of SinoPharm vaccine as the country ramps up efforts to fight COVID-19 and kick start its vaccination drive.

The drugs are a donation from the Chinese government and arrived in Harare from Beijing on Monday morning.

The Health Department says the vaccines will be distributed to provinces and districts for health workers, a second batch with 600 000 doses of the SinoPharm vaccine have been purchased by Zimbabwe’s government and are expected in the country in a month’s time.

Vice President and Health Minister, Constantino Chiwenga, says they want the roll-out to begin as soon as possible.

In a tweet Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa says, “The first batch of vaccines for Zimbabwe has been successfully delivered. We start vaccinating Zimbabweans this week!”

He added saying, “The faster our country is protected against this virus, the faster Zimbabwe’s economy can flourish.”

Zimbabwe receives COVID-19 vaccines from China: