By Koena Mashale.
Email: informationmedianews@gmail.com
Dr NRM Makgalo, who works in Klerksdorp, explains the need for the Covid vaccination and its possibility or chances to be made mandatory.
Covid vaccinations are considered similar to that of the flu or measles shot and the government has taken it upon themselves to remind everyone that the choice to get vaccinated is up to them but what of the private sectors?
There have been speculations that individuals have been fired from their place of work or denied access to specific places due to them not being vaccinated. People are worried that the vaccine would soon be mandatory. Does the vaccine challenge the concept of freedom of choice especially now that children from the ages of 11 to 17 can get vaccinated without the consent of their parents?
“The topic of the vaccine is a very complex issue because to achieve herd immunity everybody needs to be vaccinated whether or not it would become mandatory is a different story because of the charter of human rights. We cannot force people to get the vaccine on the other hand it is also an infringement of other people’s rights for people to refuse to take the vaccine as It will cause further death and strive,” said Dr Makgalo.
She explained that in most instances, it would not become mandatory however it will become highly suggested along with the use of protective equipment. Depending on the field of employment, some companies could argue that employees who are at risk, so those who are hypertensive, diabetic, with cancer or anything that compromises your immunity would have to have the immunisation as they are most at risk for contracting the illness and having a severe disease which results in death.
Dr. NRM Makgalo
Photo taken by Koena Mashale
“Which leads to the second part, whether it's important or not. It matters because like many other diseases, vaccinations are there to prevent severe illness, not to prevent getting the illness itself,” remarked Dr Makgalo.
She further went on to explain that this is the reason we have the polio vaccine, the measles vaccine, and all of these were controversial at the time. Today we don’t see children with polio, we don’t see children with measles and the hope is by getting vaccinated we’ll have enough people to achieve herd immunity.
She concluded the interview by saying that should someone contract the coronavirus whether it’s the SARSCOV 1 which is found in animals or the SARSCOV 2 virus, they would then have mild disease and if transmitted would then be like the flu and it won't result in severe disease.
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