Medical practitioner and former Minister of Health and Social Services, Dr Bernard Haufiku has urged local Paralympic athletes to get their COVID-19 vaccine jabs before they leave the country for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.

During an engagement with the athletes and their coaches in Windhoek on Sunday, Haufiku said it is very important for the athletes to get vaccinated so they can be on the safe side.

“The vaccine will prevent you from getting severe illness due to coronavirus and prevent hospitalisation and death, the evidence is there. All the current available COVID-19 vaccines are approved for emergency use and this is done to save lives because when there is a pandemic it not necessary for the vaccine to go through all the processes anymore, because it’s an emergency,” said Haufiku.

Speaking at the same occasion, national Paralympic team coach Michael Hamukwaya said the athletes should be very careful in the coming days and should do everything they can to avoid getting infected by the virus because if one of them tests positive, they will not be allowed to participate and will have to self-isolate for 14 days at the team’s cost.

The Paralympic athletes expected to represent Namibia at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games are Johannes Nambala, Ananias Shikongo and Lahja Ishitile, accompanied by their guides Sam Shimanda and Even Tjivu.

They will leave Namibia on 18 August 2021 and the Games are starting on 25 August in Tokyo, Japan.

Source: Namibia Press Agency