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In Eswatini schools were closed from June to September 8 due to COVID 19 and political unrest. In August the government implemented a programme to vaccinate teachers before schools opened. The Matjana teachers joined many others around Eswatini getting a vaccine that will protect them and their students from COVID-19.
Our teachers got their jab before the opening of school on the 8th of September in a local government clinic which is about 10 km way from our school. This month we will hear more about vaccine from Teacher Londiwe and Qiniso.
Both teachers got vaccinated with Johnson & Johnson vaccine which only requires a single dose, compared to Astra Zeneca, the other vaccine available in Eswatini, which requires two doses. Teacher Londi said, “I am happy that I got the J&J because I do not have go back to the clinic again”.
Teachers said they were worried that if they were vaccinated with the Astra Zeneca, that they might find that when they were ready to get their second jab, the vaccine doses would have run out, which is what happened some months back. Teacher Qiniso said, “I do not know the difference between these vaccines, but my biggest worry about Astra Zeneca was that what if the vaccine runs out when it’s my time to get my second jab?”
In Eswatini there were a lot of rumours about the vaccine including that some people die after taking the vaccine. In Eswatini there have been a number of deaths in the past months from people who had COVID, and the rumours were that they die because they took the vaccine. This included high profile people. People said after vaccinating some would collapse or bleed profusely.
Teacher Qiniso said, “I had a lot of questions in my mind regarding this rumour until I saw my relative who also took the vaccine.” Qiniso said his relative didn’t die from taking the vaccine and didn’t have a lot of complications. He added, “I also saw a number of people in my community taking the vaccine, and they didn’t die or get sick.” Qiniso said he got the courage of taking the vaccine because he saw people around him taking it.
Similarly, teacher Londi said she was scared of taking the vaccine because she heard a lot of negative things about the vaccine on social media and she has a cardiac (a heart) condition. She said, “I have heard that once you take the vaccine when you have a heart condition chances of dying are high”. She added, “Rumours said one of the high-profile people (whom I know) had a heart condition and he died after taking the vaccine.” Londi said she was so scared when she heard this. Other people she talked to about taking the vaccine said that was not true. She said, “I wasn’t sure what to believe anymore and I decided to consult my doctor, who told me that the rumours weren’t true.” So, teacher Londi took the vaccine because the doctor and other people she knows told her that the vaccine had nothing to do with the heart problem.
After taking the vaccine both our teachers said they suffered from headaches, which the nurses had told them to expect. “I suffered from a headache after taking the vaccine and it lasted for a few hours. I drank a lot of water as advised by the nurse,” said Qiniso.
Matjana teachers said they know that taking the vaccine doesn’t mean you won’t get COVID, and they would continue to take other precautions, like wearing masks and washing hands. They mentioned that now that they have vaccinated, they wish that the government should also vaccinate children. Meanwhile Matjana teachers would like to encourage other people to take the vaccine so that when they get COVID, they won’t be hospitalized.