Frontline health workers urged to get jabs during roll-out

By LULU MARK
THE Covid-19 vaccination programme in provinces will start next week and frontline and essential workers are encouraged to get the shot, an official says.
Minister for Health and HIV/AIDS Jelta Wong told The National that some provinces such as Western had started the vaccination but the official roll-out was on Wednesday and it would continue throughout the month.
Wong said all the provinces had received their supplies from the 132,000 doses that were donated by the Covax facility (from the Serum Institute of India) and were set to be rolled-out.
He said the second batch of vaccines from the Covax facility would arrive around the second week of May.
Wong dismissed all the beliefs and questions people were having about the vaccine that was contributing to the hesitation among the frontline workers to come forward and get the jab.
“(The Government) is trying to protect its people but they don’t realise that, and are rejected or afraid of taking the vaccine,” he said.
“The vaccine is not the cure but it protects you.”
“It boosts the immune system.”
He said people should not be afraid to get the vaccine.
Wong said media advertisements on taking the vaccine would start on Monday and they hoped it would help change the way people thought, hence, more people would be willing to get the vaccine.
“People that are engaged for the advertisement or awareness are very respectable people,” he said.
He encouraged people to get the vaccine.
Meanwhile, Dr Garry Nou, from the National Control Centre (NCC), said the Covid-19 transmission rate in the country was still high.
He said it was important for people to get the vaccine and continue to adhere to the control measures.
Dr Nou said until herd immunity was reached (70-80 per cent of the population being vaccinated) even those who had been vaccinated should continue to wear mask, wash/sanitise hands and keep physical distancing.