By Own Correspondent| School children in Chitungwiza have received their first dose of Oral Cholera Vaccine (OCV) 1.

OCV protects against severe cholera through reducing deaths and breaking the transmission cycle of cholera.

The Health and Child Care ministry embarked on a cholera vaccination exercise following the donation of 2,8 million doses of the oral cholera vaccine through the World Health Organisation (WHO).

Said a parent whose daughter was vaccinated at Seke 7 Primary school Tariro Moyo:

“This is a welcome development considering that cholera kills within hours. At least if our children are vaccinated against the disease, we are assured that their health is guaranteed.”

Another parent, Vongai Zulu expressed concern at failure by the local authority to provide clean and safe drinking water arguing that this derailed the cholera vaccination initiative.

“I am appealing to the local authority to provide us with safe and clean drinking water. Vaccination without continued hygienic practices poses a health risk to us and our children. This will make this initiative worthless.”

According to the ministry of Health and Child Care, the OCV is safe to use although the vaccine does not replace good hygiene, safe water and sanitation.

The OCV is given through the mouth. Two doses of the vaccine protects against cholera for at least three years.

The OCV can be given to everyone aged 1 and above and living in high risk areas.

Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with bacterium Vibrio Cholerae. If left untreated, cholera kills within hours of infection hence presenting a serious health challenge in Zimbabwe.

Since the cholera outbreak in Budiriro in Harare on September 6, over 49 lives have been lost although government recently announced that they had managed to contain the disease and there were no reported cases of new cholera infections.