The South African Medical Association Trade Union (Samatu) in Limpopo says the majority of its member doctors are willing to take the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.
This is ahead of the vaccine distribution to provinces.
President Ramaphosa receives COVID-19 vaccines from India:
The Department of Health in Limpopo will receive 44 000 doses of the vaccines that arrived in the country from India on Monday.
The union’s provincial spokesperson, Dr Nkateko Mnisi, says only a few doctors have objected to taking the vaccine.
“There is mixed feelings amongst some members but one thing that we all know for sure that all our members have in common is that we want the best for our communities. We want health care to be preserved. So the majority of our members are willing to take the vaccine,” adds Dr Mnisi.
“However, those that don’t [want to take the vaccine] which are few, should also be allowed that which is fair enough. But they should be given the opportunity and the vaccine should be provided to them, it should be of their choice only not to take the vaccine,” explains Mnisi.
Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) in Limpopo is also happy about the announcement that the province will receive 44 000 doses of the vaccine.
EFF’s Limpopo chairperson, Jossey Buthane, has cautioned the public against spreading unsubstantiated information around the efficacy of the vaccine.
“We welcome the doses as the EFF in Limpopo, although we wish the numbers could have been much higher than 40 000. But we believe it is according to [the] needs of health care workers, front liners [and] according to their statistics in each province. We believe that our people will take this vaccine seriously and stop making fun and jokes around it to save their lives,” adds Buthane.
