Covid-19 vaccinations: Morningside educators share their experience
According to the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health 68 748 staff from the Department of Basic Education had been vaccinated across 152 vaccination sites.
THOUSANDS of KwaZulu-Natal educators received Covid-19 vaccinations across the province last week. Among those elected to get the vaccine were Morningside educators, Ross Bedford and Desiree Veerasamy .
Bedford, Head of IT at Durban Preparatory High School (DPHS) received his vaccine at Moses Mabhida Stadium on Friday, 25 June.
“I thought it was the right thing to do. I didn’t really feel I was at risk. I know it has affected different people in different ways and young people have been affected too, but I am fairly fit and healthy,” he said.
“Generally vaccinations help to achieve herd immunity. You’ve got to vaccinate a certain percentage of the population. Vaccines certainly worked with other communicable diseases, so if it can get us back to normal life sooner rather than later, then it’s something you need to do,” he said.
Desiree Veerasamy, educator and section head of Grade 3 at DPHS also received her vaccine on Friday.
“My husband and I are both in the teaching profession, we have a passion for teaching and all want to be safe. We felt that getting a vaccine was the right thing to do. I know there are so many different views on it, but we felt getting the vaccine was best for ourselves, our country and our children,” she said.
“I wasn’t scared or anxious about getting the vaccine, I was looking at the bigger picture,” she added.
Statistics from the KZN Health Department
According to statistics shared by the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health on Wednesday, 30 June, a total of 68 748 staff from the Department of Basic Education had been vaccinated across 152 vaccination sites.
On Wednesday, 23 June, MEC for Education in KwaZulu-Natal, Kwazi Mshengu lead a vaccination drive for educators.
“(Educators) are among the frontline workers and that is why we have put them on the priority list to be vaccinated against Covid-19,” said Mshengu.
Speaking at the Covid-19 Vaccination Influencers’ Programme in King Cetshwayo District on Friday, 25 June, KZN Health MEC Ms Nomagugu Simelane said an estimated 70 000 teachers would receive vaccinations by the end of the day.
“We started vaccinating educators on Wednesday, as the province of KwaZulu-Natal and so far, we’ve vaccinated just above 44 000 in the province over two days, not including today’s statistics. We are quite excited that by the time we close today we probably will be above 60 000 and toward 70 000 and we will then be expecting our next dispatch of vaccinations from National,” said Simelane.
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