Finance minister Mthuli Ncube has told state-controlled media that Zimbabweans will be required to pay for Covid-19 vaccination. “Look, private citizens obviously would have to pay for the vaccines.” The payment is meant to enable the government to “recoup” costs of procurement.
Ncube went on to state his expected sequence in the distribution of the vaccine, starting with frontline healthcare workers followed by the elderly and the vulnerable.
According to ZTN, Mthuli Ncube said, “Private citizens will have actually to pay for the vaccine. The vaccine is cheaper than the PPE we are procuring. This will also help us as the government to recoup some funds. We are targeting to cover the whole population. We will cover those who cannot afford it. The Ministry of health will clarify about the distribution. All the logistical arrangements will be clearer when we procure the vaccine.