Zimbabwean Doctor Part of Team That Developed COVID-19 Vaccine
“Today I am so proud not only of being part of Pfizer, but also for being part of the team that delivered this great Christmas present to the world. I am so proud that I am able to make an impact at a global scale.”
MARYLAND — A Zimbabwean, who works for Pfizer which came up with the COVID-19 vaccine, says he is proud to be part of a team that delivered “this great Christmas present to the world”. In a tweet Dr. Tatenda Shopera said, “I grew up in the dusty streets of Harare (Zimbabwe) and one thing that was apparent then was I wanted to make an impact before I leave this place we call earth. I have always believed that life is not just about an individual but the impact an individual has on the community, that's what makes life worth living. “Today I am so proud not only of being part of Pfizer, but also for being part of the team that delivered this great Christmas present to the world. I am so proud that I am able to make an impact at a global scale.” Dr. Shopera also thanked a Zimbabwean parliamentarian, who mentioned his name, during one of the sessions in the House of Assembly. Reacting to Temba Mliswa’s remarks, he said, “... Never imagined my name would be mentioned in @ParliamentZim @TembaMliswa. Hope my forefathers (Shoperai, Mazhaumbe, Nerupiri and Matemai) are celebrating in Nyikadzimu. Dr. Shopera was unreachable for comment Wednesday night. In a tweet, the developers of the vaccine being used in USA said, “The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine has not been approved or licensed by the @US_FDA but has been authorized for emergency use to prevent COVID-19 in individuals 16 and older.” The first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed jointly by U.S. drugmaker Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech are being administered to health care workers across the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officials are in the process of approving the use of another vaccine developed by moderna. The White House says six million doses of the Moderna vaccine could be shipped out to the public by next week after the FDA grants approval.