Politicians and COVID-19

In times like these, when the world is grappling with the ferocious COVID- 19, the people must trust and work with the leaders, the politicians. Politicians must trust and work with the people. There has to be harmony between the two groups. To win this war, it is imperative that the people, and especially politicians, are abreast with new developments regarding ways of preventing and controlling the spread of the virus. It is imperative that politicians, the peoples’ representatives, are acquainted and up to date with how the virus affects people. With the advent of the recently developed vaccines, it is the duty of the politicians to inform and educate the people about the vaccines. They cannot do all this without an intimate relationship with the latest developments concerning the vaccines. And this they can do through our Presidential COVID- 19 Task Force and the various regional and international platforms, in particular the world health body ( WHO). So, I was very dismayed ( an understatement), when a headline jumped at me from the front page of the Weekendpost of Saturday 20 – 26 March, 2021; “BDP MPs Doubt COVID- 19 vaccine”. During these times when our country is battling a contagious disease, with some patients being treated at home, one does not expect these doubts, from leaders, to reach the public sphere. We all know that some of our people have already developed “vaccine hesitancy”, albeit a very few. So, to hear these stories from our leaders is scary and might lead to “severe vaccine hesitancy”. I mean it should be possible for our politicians to have a one on one with the COVID- 19 Task Force to clear these doubts, and keep them to themselves. They will not be lying to the people for they would not have said anything. They will not be deceiving the people by not publicising their doubts. They will be protecting the people!

In this age of the internet, telephony and television, information is very easy to access and verify. I had hoped that the “entertainment allowance”, which should rightly be called “Info- tainment allowance” that we splash on the leaders, is for this and other people- centric purposes, not fun. It is for them to inform themselves and make informed decisions on behalf of the people. I am shocked that an elected representative of the people should have these doubts when everything that has to be known about the Oxford- AstraZeneca vaccine is so adequately publicised. Here at home, the COVID- 19 Task Force is on air every Monday and Thursday on Btv to update the nation on COVID- 19, and have cleared, and continue to clear this very doubt on the politicians’ minds. If the leaders do not listen to and watch these updates, if only for the benefit of the people, then the multitudes who do not have access to such information are lost, and are bound to develop some form of hesitancy towards the vaccine. Just recently, on Tuesday 16th March, 2021 to be precise, the European Medicines Agency’s Chief was on air reporting that they are holding a conference, whose objective was to clear the confusion surrounding the Oxford- AstraZeneca vaccine. Top of the agenda was the reports or suspicions that AstraZeneca causes blood clots in or on those who have taken the vaccine. She ( the Chief) was back on air on Thursday 18th March, 2021, to allay these fears. She explicitly stated that there is no connection between AstraZeneca and blood clotting, at least by the conclusion of the conference. After this, some of the major European economies which have banned the use of the vaccine, such as Germany, lifted the ban. So, it is astonishing that after so much information has been availed concerning any hick- ups with the AstraZeneca vaccine, some within the leadership are still confused! Dr Tedros ( that is what they have adopted to call him … the surname being very difficult to pronounce) of the WHO has also repeatedly cleared this doubt. He has been on television confirming the efficiency and safety of the Oxford- AstraZeneca vaccine. What is even more intriguing is that, two or three weeks ( I think) after receiving the vaccine from India ( COVISHIELD), it is only now that the politicians are questioning or doubting the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine. Currently there are three groups or families of vaccines, if I may put it that way, and I would have hoped that the politicians are aware that AstraZeneca and COVISHIELD vaccines are from the same family. The only difference, in a layman’s view, is the manufacturers. If we had the resources, we could be manufacturing it here and call it by a different name, say, MAXVAC. So, to sound any alarm at this late stage is pretty uncalled for, unless it is some conspiracy theory, which is doubtful because purveyors of conspiracy theories are well read and up to date with the actual issues.

During this time of a pandemic, it is worrisome that the leaders of the people are not updating themselves on new developments so that they may be in a position to allay the people’s fears. What makes all these doubts very scary is that they are not supported by any theory whatsoever, they are just doubts. People will always develop anxiety from what they hear and read, especially from leaders. These doubts might even erase the “social efficacy”, which we should depend on during these times of trying to supress the virus. Even more so in this age of unregulated “social media”. The things people post on social media! One has to really rely on very reliable sources to understand and save oneself, and others, from the Coronavirus. And are they plenty? Locally we have the COVID- 19 Task Force and internationally there is the WHO. What more do we need? Dear politicians, the people look up to you. Some are so gullible that, the very headline, as it appeared, will scare them so much that it will take the greatest of influencers to get them to change their minds, and take the vaccine.

Perhaps the journalists may also want to take a modest approach with their headlines. Some people do not read, especially the talkative fellas, they just see a headline and create their own story. So, my dear journalists, it might help to tone down on the screaming and thus paper- selling headlines. It will also help if journalists could also take time to try and rectify the inconsistencies that already are in the public domain, to sort of ease the tension. We have already ordered a 100 million Pula worth of this vaccine; that should be three million or more doses, assuming a conservative price tag. You can imagine what a waste it will be if people start or have already developed vaccine hesitancy. We do not want that! As Dr. Pedros says “no one is safe until all of us are safe”. The good news is that the majority of Batswana are “RAW” to take the vaccine ( RAW: Ready, Able and Willing). Public confidence in any vaccine during a pandemic is a very big bonus; so, let us not help reduce that by having any doubts at this late hour. This is the time to be encouraging and preparing Batswana to take the vaccine. This is the time when correct and up to date information is among the best tools to convince even the fiercest vaccine antagonist to take the Oxford- AstraZeneca vaccine. We need the numbers for safe “herd immunity”. Herd immunity is a function of vaccine efficacy and the vaccines we have so far secured are of a lower efficacy and will therefore require a higher herd immunity.

Let me call upon all Batswana to “mask up, sanitise or wash hands regularly and keep the distance”, so that we may contain this virus and prevent it from mutating. As long as this virus is active amongst us, it will keep mutating. So let us all practice the very simply three ways of preventing the spread and ultimate mutation of the virus, so that those charged with the very difficult task of control find it a bit easier to do their job. Professor Mosepele, during his maiden days at the COVID- 19 Task Team, said something to the effect that “the best ammunition against this Coronavirus is us ( the people)”.