It’s been almost a year since we embraced the new normal, albeit we have been and still are resistant. It has undeniably made the world small and brought together the global community. And now, what we have been tirelessly waiting for or not, as some people have been boycotting – the vaccine has arrived. But if the agent of Satan does not kill human kind as Chief justice has bemoaned, then things may well go back to the edges of normal.
I personally never had any opinion on vaccines used as tools for depopulation. I had never given myself that time to do research on the new world order spoken about in long Facebook posts. I read fiction, that’s me. If you want me to learn something tell a story, and I’ve never read any book where the characters are wiped out by a vaccine, atleast not yet. In fact, I should write observations on the information age in time of the pandemic, if it’s a blessing or a curse. Two hours browsing breeds an expert on economics, science, social justice and other things they read 250 word posts on. I’m always baffled about how people speak with conviction and certainly things they had never shown interest on prior Covid-19, I wondered if maybe we are being carried away by all this information consumption that comes in overly shared posts.
But it is finally here and those who were at the forefront will get the immunity they need. Because while keyboard warriors were fighting their screens, they fought the real fight.
The AstraZeneca vaccine arrived at the OR Tambo airport on 01 February 2021 from India. It was welcomed by the president, his Deputy and Health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize. After reports that the vaccines were expiring in April, the AstraZeneca rollout has since been halted. The minister said analysis show the vaccine to be ineffective to mild illnesses associated to the new variant of Covid-19. It has now been taken over for further tests by our scientists who are to find a way to make them work. Or they might be sold, as Mkhize recently announced. This does sort of worry me that it’s only now that our scientists are trusted. At first it was African traditional doctors excluded on finding solutions, then African medical doctors not trusted to come with a vaccine solution. Yes, this is not a contention on which country or continent can come up with what. But if we want to have an independent Africa one day, we must atleast trust our own.
The country will still continue with its planes for phase one rollout. The government has secured 9 million doses of the Johnson &Johnson vaccine which will first arrive next week. Provinces will then be given doses for their health care workers. I am a bit dubious about the administration of provinces. We have witnessed, especially in this pandemic how amoral our government Departments are. You would think a pandemic would awaken principle. Money to prepare the country for the worst that is happening disappeared. But I also believe that the departments will put our health care, elders and essential workers first as planned.
