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City Press reports that some nurses and unions have taken a stand against Covid-19 vaccinations. Healthcare workers will be the first to receive the vaccinations. However, nurses say the government is trying to make them into guinea pigs because there is still uncertainty about how the vaccine will affect people.
Jessica Blake, a paediatric nurse at Helen Joseph Hospital in Joburg, said she would not have the vaccine because there was not enough information about it. “So much is unknown about the vaccine’s long-term effects and I’m pretty conservative. I make sure all my ducks are in a row before I do anything. We’re not sure whether we’re guinea pigs at this point – they almost gave us a batch of faulty vaccines (seeming referring toOxford-AstraZenica vaccine). Who wouldn’t have doubts after that?” she asked. The Democratic Nursing Organisation of SA (Denosa) said that before SA purchased more vaccines, their efficacy should be confirmed. Njabulo Theko, a member of the Young Nurses Indaba Trade Union (YNITA), questioned why government still wanted health workers to be the first to receive the vaccine. “Why are they starting with us if they can start with the people who need it most, and how does government think it can achieve its goal of vaccinating citizens if it’s failing to provide us with answers when we need them? No one is able to give us a straight answer. Now we don’t know what we’ll be putting into our bodies. Do they even know the effects of the vaccine?” he asked. Lerato Mthunzi, president of YNITU, said the union had warned about the rushed approach in procuring the Covid-19 vaccine without sufficient information and a clear strategy.
- Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Mandisa Nyathi at City Press (paywall access only)
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