Sekhukhune District Command Council welcomes vaccines arrival
GROBLERSDAL – The Sekhukhune District Municipality (SDM)’s COVID-19 Command Council has welcomed the arrival of the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines received by President Cyril Ramaphosa and his deputy David Mabuza at the OR Tambo International Airport on Monday, 01 February 2021.
The District Command Council announced its salutation of the arrival of the first batch of vaccines, a million, during a press briefing following its bi-weekly virtual meetings on Tuesday, 02 February 2021.
Stanley Ramaila, Command Council Chairperson, said that the arrival of the vaccines marked the beginning of an extensive drive by government to vaccinate 40 million citizens, which translated into 67 percent of the population by the end of the year.
Ramaila said the DCC welcomed the arrival of the vaccines from India and expressed confidence on all the concerted efforts the government was making to combat COVID-19.
“We noted all sorts of unfounded claims and myths about the vaccines. For some time now, the naysayers have demonized the vaccine, planting fear and doubts among our people. If this were not a matter of life and death, these would be dismissed as laughable. This because the ‘Facebook scientists’ who do not have even the slightest idea about how the vaccine is developed are making these claims. There are self-employed medical experts, who speak the loudest, yet they have never set a foot in a medical school. They confidently talk negatively about the vaccines when they do not have evidence to counter the scientific evidence presented by experts,” said Ramaila.
Ramaila expressed concern that some in communities believed the nonsense and the tales of mythology which these naysayers are peddling
He appealed to the communities in Sekhukhune District to disregard the myths perpetuated by irresponsible people.
“Those against the vaccines are not medical experts or practitioners and they are not knowledgeable in the field of science. Their talk is baseless. Our appeal is that, at the right time, when we are called for vaccination against COVID-19, we honour that. Tests have shown that the vaccine can be administered on people,” said Ramaila.
Ramaila further announced that he would take the shot of the vaccine when it is made available for the residents of Sekhukhune.