For us to achieve herd immunity everyone should become vaccinated

On the current brouhaha over the Sputnik vaccines: In my previous letters of concern over the vaccination programme months ago I did state at the time that the WHO had not yet approved the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine. My concern was for travellers who could experience problems with immigration officials if they took the Sinopharm vaccine and I recommended that they take the Astrazeneca which had already been granted WHO approval. The Chinese vaccine has since been approved by the WHO and I expect the Sputnik will be given similar approval in time. At the time when I made that statement in this column regarding the Chinese vaccine, no one – including politicians or columnists – expressed any concern or alarm, and felt they should warn anyone against taking the Sinopharm vaccine. (The Sputnik was not yet available locally.) Why then such concern over the Sputnik vaccine? It is an unfounded alarm that could have dire consequences if our fellow citizens are discouraged from getting vaccinated. I have three staff members who took the Sputnik vaccine and know many others who have. They are all well and healthy and, touch wood, have not contracted COVID-19. I urge everyone to get vaccinated so that we can attain herd immunity and life can get back to some semblance of normalcy.

Sincerely, Ryhaan Shah