RUNDU – Deputy minister of youth Emma Kantema-Gaomas says many young people have been sharing fake testimonies and information, misleading rural communities about Covid-19 vaccines.
She urged young people to instead share credible information.
“We cannot emphasise enough that to protect yourself and your loved ones, we need to seek evidence-based information about vaccinations from credible sources such as the ministry of health and the World Health Organisation (WHO). Vaccinations against Covid-19 help to prevent severe infection, hospitalisation and deaths – and we have seen the statistics,” she said.
The deputy minister, in an interview with New Era, said the importance of young Namibians adhering to the Covid-19 regulations could also never be overemphasised, as the fight against Covid-19 demands collective responsibility.
“We find ourselves in a pandemic that has changed the way we live and how we socialise. While anecdotes indicate that middle-aged to senior citizens make up the majority of casualties,” she said.
“The youth are ones that are the most mobile, and arguably spread the disease faster and further than other age groups. This is not only a matter of personal responsibility; it is about being responsible for your loved ones’ life. It is essentially about caring about your family, community and consequently your nation,” she noted.
Rundu Rural constituency councillor Paulus Mbangu said young people should support government’s efforts in the fight against the pandemic. He noted some youth who are unaware of health matters should not spread things they have no knowledge of.
He urged the youth not to confuse their communities and that they should leave it to health professionals to spread credible information.
“The reality is that we are losing a lot of people to this pandemic – and at this point, fake or misleading information should not be spread. Let us follow what the authority is saying,” he said.
“People should know that there is an economic war going on; pharmaceutical companies are fighting each other and people don’t know that. When these companies are promoting their vaccines, they are de-campaigning other vaccines, deliberately spreading negative information about other vaccines to worsen their public image through social media. The vaccines we are using are safe,” he said. - jmuyamba@nepc.com.na