Oshikuku district hospital Senior Medical Officer Dr Samuel Awe has expressed concern over the low turnout at vaccination points in the district which has only managed to vaccinate 4 403 people with the first dose and 1 644 with the second dose.

Awe raised his concern on Wednesday during a courtesy visit by Health and Social Services Minister Kalumbi Shangula where he noted that the district has a target population of 62 000, however, only a small population has been vaccinated with many people expressing fear of the effects of the vaccine as reasons why they opt not to get vaccinated.

Oshikuku falls under Omusati region which has been highlighted as one of the regions in the country with low vaccine uptake.

By Wednesday, the entire Omusati region had administered 13 699 first doses and 6 311 second doses. The region is far off from reaching headcount for its target population of 139 451 people.

According to Awe when health officials did a drive through the district, most residents attributed their hesitancy to discouragement by health care workers.

“Our own health care workers do not believe in the vaccines. People are telling us that they consult with relatives and friends who are health care workers and they are the ones that are even more reluctant and afraid. That fear is then installed in the people. People are not turning up at all, sites are empty,” he said

Earlier in the day, during the official handover of a 40-bed hospital donated by the private sector through the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) Shangula made a call on health care workers to take a lead in getting vaccinated as their behaviour contributes to the overall law turn out of vaccination across the country.

He said that at least 21 health care workers have to date lost their lives during the fight of COVID-19.

“I again urge the public, especially in these regions where we have observed a low vaccination uptake to be vaccinated. That is where our future lies. We have observed that almost all the persons who died of Covid-19 were not vaccinated. That small vaccination needle is a key to your survival,” Shangula said.

Source: Namibia Press Agency