Hundreds of young adults in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality streamed to pop-up vaccination sites to get vaccinated against Covid-19 since the weekend. “I can proudly say that all of us in the family of four have taken the vaccine,” said one Gqeberha resident.
Sites were open from 08:30 at Babs Madlakane Hall, Korsten Clinic, the Despatch town hall, KwaZakhele Clinic, Metlife Plaza, Central Clinic and the Cleary Park shopping centre. Vaccines were administered free of charge.
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In Gqeberha at the KwaZakhele Clinic in Befile Street, dozens came when they heard district department of health officials on loudhailers, calling them, “Please bring your ID book with you. Covid-19 is still here and it kills. Wash your hands, stay at home, wear your mask, let’s vaccinate so that we can all be safe.”
Many remain suspicious
“Today I can proudly say that all of us in the family of four have taken the J&J vaccine,” said Wandisa Madwayi.
“Some people don’t want to vaccinate,” she said while sending a text message on her phone to a friend who did not want to get vaccinated.
She said many people remain “suspicious” of the vaccine. “Some of them are born-again Christians. “To me, it is better to take the vaccine than to spread conspiracy theories.”
On Sunday morning at Babs Madlakane Hall in KwaNobuhle, Kariega, dozens of people came for their vaccines.
Lungile Blaauw said, “My sister, my mum and myself have now all been vaccinated.”
Survivors get their shots
Sinovuyo Zokufa travelled from KwaMagxaki in Gqeberha all the way to the Despatch town hall to be vaccinated, after seeing the site advertised on the municipality’s social media pages.
She said that last year, she and her parents all came down with Covid-19. Her father had to be hospitalised. Now she was vaccinated at last.
In general, fixed vaccination sites were offering the two-shot Pfizer vaccine and the pop-up sites were offering the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
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Eastern Cape government communication and information system (GCIS) manager Ndlelantle Piyana issued a statement on Monday morning, saying that Kariega is leading the metro in Covid-19 infections.
