SA needs to be educated on how vaccine will work

It’s not a matter of choice, SA needs the vaccine. When I come across the breaking news reported every morning about the Covid-19 statistics I ask myself whether people who make nasty comments on social media saying they will not take a jab are for real.

One can say "I cannot take a jab" knowing she/he is waiting for it with red eyes while misleading others. 

It is not a matter of choice. SA, like other countries, needs the vaccine as the virus is killing people like goats. It is very painful and mind draining to hear how many people have died because ofthe virus while we are still having other people with negative thoughts about the virus and vaccine.

We cannot run away from the fact that this virus is a killer. Covid-19 shows no mercy, destroying poor or rich. Many households are left empty, the chairs that used to be occupied are now empty. What’s left are the memories, and the pictures on the wall. Citizens cannot keep on mourning people who have died from the virus.

We hear of conspiracy theories on a daily basis about the vaccine but the fact is that the nation is waiting for the jab. As for the frontline workers, it is heartbreaking to see how they have been sitting on hot ashes from March 27 last year. The nation is feeling the pain they are in now because of the second wave of Covid-19.

The pandemic is leaving many scars, with our anxiety hidden behind our masks. It is a wish of all citizens to see the day the vaccine arrives in SA. The question of who will take the jab first is not necessary as we all want it regardless. The nation wants the jab, as the end of life is near. Citizens are dying a painful death yet others are still making fun of the virus.

My question now is will the vaccine find the citizens educated about it or will it get us still making fun of the killer virus and swearing at people who departed the world due to it? It is clear most people are not yet ready to be educated on how the vaccine will work. Like other pharmaceutical remedies it is crucial to have a clear knowledge and understanding of how it works.

As Thomas Jefferson once said: “Knowledge is power to overcome the past, to change our own situations, to fight new obstacles and to make better decisions.”

Education is what South Africans need for now to challenge the pandemic before the third wave finishes the whole country. It is advisable that the government of SA and the health officials implement effective ways that will help educate the citizens about the vaccination.

Rather than reporting the Covid-19 statistics in the media daily, frightening the citizens, it is essential to create educational programmes on the importance of Covid-19 vaccination and how it will be used to cure the virus. As the department of health is responsible for all the Covid-19 related matters, it is of paramount importance for this sector to execute new strategies to educate the citizens about the vaccine as they are always reinforcing President Cyril Ramaphosa’s words on the importance of washing hands with soap, sanitising and wearing masks.

We cannot defeat the pandemic only by wearing of masks, sanitising and washing of hands. The nation needs to be educated. The sooner their minds get prepared, the better. By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail in whatever you establish. Knowing all the side effects that come along with the jab and how it will be rolled out to every citizen is a key to success in fighting the virus.

People are anticipating the jab with red eyes, as it is no longer a matter of choice but to save lives.

• Lydia is a Sowetan reader