Wood said to Lola that if you get the vaccine, you will be able see your friends once again. You will be able to participate in sports. Lola was enticed to accept the promise of a normal, teenage life.
Immunity is difficult to obtain in Zimbabwe, which covers more than 8,000 miles (13,000 km) and is a world away Canada.
Andrew Ngwenya, a man of working class in Harare, was sitting outside his Harare home, contemplating how he and his family could escape COVID-19.
Ngwenya, his wife De-egma, had traveled to a hospital with spare doses. Within hours, less than 30 people were inoculated. The Ngwenyas were the parents of four children and were sent home in desperate need of immunization.
He said, “We want it but can’t get it.” “We need it. Where can we get it?”
The stories of the Wood and Ngwenya families reflect a world starkly divided between vaccine haves and have nots, between those who can imagine a world beyond the pandemic and those who can only foresee months and perhaps years of illness and death.
One country’s early mistakes in fighting COVID-19 were overcome by money and a strong infrastructure for public health. Poor planning, lack of resources, and failure to establish a global system to share rare vaccines has led to a severe shortage of COVID-19 shots, oxygen tanks, and protective equipment.
Canada boasts a high vaccination rate with 70% of its adult population having received at least one COVID-19 vaccine. Canada is also moving to immunize children who are much less likely to contract coronavirus complications or death.
In Zimbabwe, 9 percent of the population has not received a dose of coronavirus vaccine. This is despite the introduction of the delta variant, which is easier to spread, that was first discovered in India. Many millions of people vulnerable to COVID-19, including the elderly and those with underlying medical problems, are struggling to get immunized as government officials introduce more restrictive measures.
Ngwenya stated that the congest of people trying to get vaccined is demoralizing.
The queue is about 5 km (about 3 miles). Even if you’re interested in a jab, you won’t be able to stand it. He said, “Once you see the queue, you won’t attempt again.”
