Kavango West targets 15 000 in vaccination drive
NKURENKURU – The Kavango West region has set a target of vaccinating 15 038 schoolgoing children under the age of 18 as part of measures adopted to curb the spread of Covid-19. So far, the region has only vaccinated 4 478 children with the first dose, while 2 016 have received the second dose.
This week, the education, health and information ministries launched the learners’ vaccination campaign programme at Kahenge Combined School in the Nkurenkuru constituency. During the activation, the chairperson of the Kavango West Regional Council Joseph Sikongo implored eligible learners to not copy from hesitant teachers but rather get vaccinated against the virus to protect themselves.
He further encouraged stakeholders to get accurate information from the experts and do away with the myths regarding the vaccine. “I call on our learners, teachers and parents to use the opportunity of experts coming to us, to ask questions and seek clarity on any misconception and fears we may have around the vaccines. Regional health director Fransiska
Hamutenya said despite the region being one of the top regions with regard to vaccination, the residents should not relax as there is still more to be done.
“The region is at the moment topping in terms of vaccination. This does not mean we should now lower our guards and relax. A lot still needs to be done if we are to reach herd immunity by July 2022,” she stated, adding, “I encourage those eligible for vaccination to take their shot.”
Acting director of education Herbert Karapo appealed to school staff to be at the forefront of the fight against Covid-19 and thus urged them to protect themselves and others. “It is my humble appeal that school managers and teachers, let’s be on the forefront as this pandemic is still with us and it’s not yet over.
Let’s ensure that we protect ourselves, our kids so that by the end of the day, we are living healthier,” he urged. During the launch, Adolf Karupu the Life Skills teacher at Kahenge Combined School pointed out that the long distance from the school is one of the challenges that will hinder getting more learners vaccinated as some parents live in villages that are far from the school and thus cannot give consent to the learners who are in the hostel.