Kazara Ndovazu
The education ministry, in collaboration with the ministries of information and health, recently launched the schools Covid-19 vaccination advocacy campaign at the Mureti Senior Secondary School in Opuwo.
The national Covid-19 vaccination drive is being supported by UNICEF, UNESCO, the World Health Organisation as well as the United Nations Population Fund. Speaking at the launch, Opuwo mayor Rosa Mbinge said the approval from the WHO to vaccinate children aged between 12 and 17 gave rise to the implementation of a six-months’ advocacy and public education campaign targeting all schools in Namibia.
She indicated that getting learners vaccinated is important to reduce the chances of transmitting the virus to others, including family members and friends who may be vulnerable to the severe consequences of Covid-19.
“I am very optimistic that the launch of the school vaccination campaign is going to bring vaccines closer to the children and adolescents in schools where they are most of the time, and to have many of them vaccinated,” said Mbinge.
She further stressed that getting pupils vaccinated is vital to keeping them in schools and reducing disruptions to school attendance and other extra-curricular activities.
Learners aged 12-13 will, however, require parental consent to be vaccinated. Adolescents between 14 and 17 years can legally consent for their own vaccination.
The consent forms will be provided on site and at schools to allow parents and guardians to permit their children.
Kunene health director Thomas Shapumba said the J&J, Sinopharm, AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines are all available for those who wish to get the injection.
A host of 27 135 people have received their first dose, 13 321 the second dose, while 2 448 have received their booster shot against Covid-19 in the region.
Among those vaccinated, Shapumba
said, 2 709 are children aged between 12 and 17. “I want to urge you that we have all the vaccines at our disposal at our clinics, at our health centres, at our hospitals, and also through our mobile teams so that people can be vaccinated. We have enough stock; please make use of the facilities to get your vaccination,” he reiterated.
Genuine Ntinda, a grade 10 learner at the Mureti Senior Secondary School, noted that he has not been vaccinated and urged fellow learners to get vaccinated willingly, and not to be forced into getting vaccinated against Covid-19.
“If you feel like getting vaccinated, do it. If you feel like getting vaccinated is not for you, don’t do it. It is all about what you feel like doing,” Ntinda reasoned.