Lesotho - Teenagers to get the jab

(MENAFN- The Post)

MOHALE'S HOEK – LESOTHO is set to become the latest African country to extend COVID-19 vaccinations to children following the unveiling of a pilot project that will start in Mohale's Hoek.
The country will use Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine on the children.
Other African countries that have vaccinated children are Guinea, Morocco, Namibia and South Africa which are targeting children aged 12 years and above.

The other two countries are Zimbabwe and Egypt. Zimbabwe is vaccinating 14-year-olds and above while Egypt is jabbing children aged 15 years and above.
The Ministries of Health and Education, in collaboration with World Vision and the World Health Organisation (WHO), will start vaccinating 12 to 17-year-olds in Lesotho.

The WHO has donated US$20 000 (about M317 900) to launch the Access to Covid-19 Tools Accelerator (Act-A) project to improve community access to relevant Covid-19 response interventions which target 12 to 17-year-old children.

Mohale's Hoek has been targeted because it is the least of districts where the vaccine is being administered in the country, according to World Vision's Area Programme Coordinator, Tšepo Motsamai.
Other pilot project areas in the country are Matelile in Mafeteng, Mapoteng in Berea and Kota in Leribe, although the main focal district will be Mohale's Hoek.

District Health Management Team Surveillance Officer, Relebohile Makhabane, said although the vaccination programme is in full swing in most parts of the country, officials are struggling to reach targeted numbers in Mohale's Hoek.
She said they have only vaccinated 41 355 people against a target of 101 040 people in the district.

“We are left with 59 685 people, which is around 59 percent of the target population,” said Makhabane, calling for increased collaboration with other stakeholders to try and jab more people.
Makhabane attributed the slow rate of vaccination in Mohale's Hoek to religious beliefs, lack of education about vaccinations and inaccessibility of villages in the district.

Makhabane said the Department of Health decided to vaccinate children from 12 years upwards to prevent the children from becoming spreaders of the virus.
She explained that the children will take two doses of the vaccine within 21 days of each other.
She pleaded with teachers to raise awareness in communities to ensure that parents and community members realise the importance of Covid-19 vaccines.

A Maphutšeng taxi driver, Moshe Matibi, told thepost that he is yet to be vaccinated because of lack of understanding on issues surrounding the Covid-19 vaccines.
“For the longest time I was taught not to take any medication when I am not sick,” Matibi said.

“First, I should be educated so that I can make an informed decision. Right now, I really don't understand why I should vaccinate,” he said.
“People around me are getting vaccinated but I will not do it before I understand what it's all about,” he said, accusing the government of pushing the vaccination agenda without providing proper explanations to the public.

Another resident of Mohale's Hoek, in Likhutlong, 'Maleshome Motjapane, noted fear of side-effects as her reason for snubbing the jab. She claimed that some of her friends have experienced“nasty” side-effects after being vaccinated.

“The fatigue… They slept a lot and I can't help but fear that I may be unlucky and die from the side-effects. Maybe my imaginations are a direct result of my lack of understanding,” Motjapane said.
She said she wished village health workers or health practitioners could teach people about vaccines before administering the shots.
“I can't be expected to take things from just anyone when I am exposed to social media where I get controversial information about vaccines,” she said.“I need facts first.”

Another resident, Thabisang Ntiea, who is now based in Maseru, said she has not been vaccinated because of lack of time.
“I am too busy during weekdays. And their timing on weekends to bring the vaccines closer is always bad. I can't choose the vaccine over beer especially because I am not sick,” Ntiea said.

“And the thought of joining long queues doesn't work for me. Hopefully, I will find time during weekdays and visit those centres closer to my workplace,” he said.

Motsamai said the vaccination awareness project was launched last month and will end next month. The awareness campaigns aim to empower communities with information on Covid-19 preventive messages and mental health during pandemics.
Motsamai explained that the project is targeting four locations: Phamong, Matelile, Mapoteng, and Kota.

Motsamai said the project will benefit 800 schools where they have Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) club members and 6 000 community members.

Motsamai said key stakeholders have undertaken several initiatives to mitigate the impact of the pandemic.
The World Vision is working closely with WHO and other stakeholders to discuss how best stakeholders could intervene.
“We are now proud to announce that from the coming weeks through this project children who are aged between 12 and 17 years will be vaccinated,” Motsamai said.

'Maithabeleng Mokoatle, speaking on behalf of the Education Inspector in the district of Mohale's Hoek, said that the Ministry of Education undertook some initiatives to mitigate the spread of the virus.
The initiatives include buying water storage tanks for schools, sanitizers and bleaches to clean up classrooms.
She said the ministry offered training to teachers on how they should teach students on the precautions they should take to reduce the spread of Covid-19.

Mokoatle said the ministry also realised that classrooms are too small, resulting in congestion. The ministry introduced alternate class attendances to resolve the problem.
Mokoatle said they also donated face masks to high school students and Grade Seven pupils.

“However, the introduction of vaccination will be significant,” she said.
The Health Promotion Officer at WHO, Thato Mxakaza, said European Union (EU) members contributed heavily towards the fight against Covid-19. He said the EU engaged several local organisations to drive the agenda.

The National Covid-19 Secretariat (Nacosec) Chief of Staff, Thabo Ntoi, said authorities want to increase numbers of people getting the shots by going to places where the public gather in huge numbers such as churches, public gatherings and business centres. He said health officials have also established vaccination spots at borders as well as along illegal points of entry.

“We are winning in urban and peri-urban areas so far except in those hard to reach areas, the mountainous regions,” Ntoi said.
He added that“travelling is a challenge and now that we noticed the gap, we are working on ways to bridge the gap”.

Refiloe Mpobole & 'Mapule Motsopa

MENAFN14122021000229011070ID1103363042