Lives are at stake
AS ZWELI Mkhize, the Minister of Health, announced the online registrations for phase 2 of the country’s Covid-19 vaccine roll-out, anti-vaxxers (a person who is opposed to vaccination) increased their conspiracy theories.
They battle between fact and conspiracies when the safety of Covid-19 vaccines has intensified. There is a history of opposition to the vaccination. I recall when my children were born, friends used to advise us against childhood vaccinations. The aim of any vaccination is to prevent ongoing transmission, prevent illness and death and to achieve herd immunity.
Now is the time to confront vaccine misinformation on social media to dispel myths as lives are at stake. It is a point in time to create herd immunity as Covid-19 has created a lot of unanswered questions to deal with in the future, and that includes the psychological impact on humans, especially children.
Actions are driven by emotions and not rational thinking. Therefore, more transparent and comprehensive interaction with citizens may help our rainbow nation to accept the Covid-19 vaccine over the choice of non-vaccination. Anti-vaxxers use social media as a leading tool to search for and to spread information. Therefore, the Department of Health should consider using effective communication mechanisms in line with the times to reach the masses. When people resolve not to be jabbed as a matter of personal choice or half-truths, they place themselves and others at risk of the virus.
MOHAMED SAEED Pietermaritzburg