Govt conducts vaccination trials for minors 

Source: Govt conducts vaccination trials for minors – NewsDay Zimbabwe

BY HARRIET CHIKANDIWA

GOVERNMENT is set to conduct COVID-19 clinical trial vaccinations for children aged 14 to 17.

Last week, government said it was revising its policy on COVID-19 vaccination to include children below 18 after realising that they were also at risk of contracting the virus.

Children under 18 as well as pregnant and lactating mothers had been excluded from the ongoing national vaccination programme.

In a letter addressed to provincial medical directors, Health secretary Jasper Chimedza said they were now considering the Sinovac vaccine for children aged between 14 and 17.

“The Health and Child Care ministry with recommendations from the Medicine Control Authority of Zimbabwe has resolved to conduct (phase 3 clinical trial) vaccination of the 14 to 17 years children with the Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine,” Chimedza said.

“You are hereby requested to urgently compute the target population of these age groups in your respective provinces in preparation for the above exercise.”

Government has been forcing its workers to be vaccinated by barring them from boarding Public Service Commission buses.

Private companies are also suspending workers who have not been vaccinated, a development observers said was tantamount to forced vaccination.