IT is not for lack of trying that the covid19 battle is proving difficult to win. The negative perception from the larger part of the population who refuse to take a jab in their arm, to prevent covid19, make it doubly difficult for governments to succeed in this battle.
The myths against covid19 vaccinations have spread far and wide and hence the resistance against the jab more pronounced. Ranging from suspected impotence to weird suggestions of bodies developing magnetic fields, such myths unfortunately find fertile minds in many people.
Unfortunately the pandemic continues to wreak havoc around the world. Globally, more than 5 million people have succumbed to covid19, thousands of others are battling for their lives in hospitals as machines help them to breath.
More than 370 million people globally have been infected with covid19 while locally more than 300,000 have been affected.
In countries where health systems are not so advanced many people die without receiving treatment.
In many other countries, the health systems have been overwhelmed by the patient in-take and some have to be turned away. This has happened at the peak of a particular wave, especially the third wave.
During the third wave, this country had reached a stage where hospital admissions reached capacity and some patients were being turned away.
Finding oxygen for patients was also a big problem and the country had a high fatality rate as a result.
That is why it is important for Zambians to heed Health Minister, Sylvia Masebo, as she beseeches people to get vaccinated because the next wave might be worse than the third wave.
Ms Masebo sounded the warning in Lusaka when she received the nearly 900,000 vaccines donated by France and Spain.
The minister warned Zambians to ensure they get vaccinated to avoid hospitalization when the anticipated new wave hits.
We are however cognizant of the overwhelming suspicions and misunderstanding among some Zambians, associated with covid vaccinations, which need immediate intervention.
All the help received from cooperating partners would be in vain if people are not prepared to take up the vaccinations.
On Friday, over 900,000 Covid-19 vaccines doses arrived in Zambia donated by the governments of Spain and France under the Covax facility.
Minister of Health, Sylvia Masebo thanked France, Spain and the European Union (EU) for the substantial boost to the country’s Covid -19 basket.
Ms Masebo said Zambia has continued to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with sustained measures since it started.
Roughly 1,600,000 Zambians have been vaccinated against covid19, while nearly 4,000 have died from the same disease.
Having expanded the age requirement for vaccinations, one would have expected that by this time, the country would have reached even two million vaccinations. Sadly, the struggle to get people vaccinated continues.
And as Ms Masebo said when receiving the donated vaccines, there is no need for people to be apprehensive about the covid19 vaccines.
Those who have been vaccinated are living proof that the vaccines work. Moreover, recent statistics show that the vaccinated have fared much better than the unvaccinated under the current omicron covid.
This is the more reason why more should be vaccinated, not only to acquire the herd immunity, but to reduce on hospitalization cases.
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