Solidarity, AfriForum urge public to vaccinate

Trade union Solidarity and AfriForum have encouraged members of the public to get vaccinated.

This after a joint scientific report found vaccination to be the most effective way to end the coronavirus pandemic.

“From the findings in the report, we can encourage our members to get the vaccines, but on condition that everyone must take their decision in a responsible way and take their own unique circumstances into account,” Solidarity chairperson Flip Buys said.

“The data indicates that one risk for most people is much greater than the vaccines, and that is not to get the vaccine.”

Buys said they wanted to enable their members and the general public to make decisions responsibly.

“Covid-19 is hitting all of us hard and everyone is longing for an end to the pandemic. With all the opinions, fake news and political agendas doing the rounds, good scientific research is essential,” he said.

READ MORE: Nurse reminds 35- 49 cohort on vaccination process

Buys said that the report, wherein a proper international study was reportedly done, found that that the vaccines were effective.

This, Buys said, was proven in countries such as Israel, the United Kingdom and Hungary where a direct link between the administration of vaccines, decrease in infections, hospitalisations and deaths was observed.

“Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson are effective,” he said, adding that it was also on the basis of the report that they could neither recommend the Chinese’s SinoVac and Russia’s Sputnik V vaccines.

“The availability of existing data is insufficient, with the result that no conclusion can be drawn at present on the efficacy of these two vaccines,” Buys said.

Meanwhile, Solidarity’s research institute head Connie Mulder said data from scientific research showed the vaccines were safe.

“It has been found that the vaccines are indeed safe to a large extent. Like other medications, there are side effects, but for most people the risk posed by Covid-19 is much higher that the risk of getting the vaccine.”

She said that while the vaccines did not provide total protection against the deadly virus, they did provide “comprehensive” protection against serious symptoms and death.

“It is probably not necessary for children to be vaccinated, but parents can seek good medical advice from doctors,” Mulder said.

She also said that the data obtained dismissed claims that a large number of people died due to vaccination.

“Data shows that claims that large numbers of people die due to vaccination are simply not true. The risk of blood clots and cardio-related side effects is small – most of the side effects reported are mild and similar to those of any other vaccine.”

The researchers behind the report were also said to have found that individuals who had health problems, were currently ill or had previously experienced side effects from vaccines, ought to contact their doctors to find out if it was safe for them to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

AfriForum’s chief executive Kallie Kriel encouraged people to exercise their right to choice.

“Not only is it important that people should be able to choose whether they want to be vaccinated or not, but they should also be able to choose which vaccine they want to receive,” he said.

Kriel also lambasted the government’s centralisation of vaccines, adding that the private sector should be roped in to assist with the roll-out thereof.

“The private sector must, on a large scale, be involved at all levels of the value chain.”

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