On the 10th of April 2021, Africa Unite in partnership with Umoja skills development, hosted a webinar on COVID 19 vaccine efficacy which was a follow up on a previous dialogue hosted on the 13th of March 2021 engaging with the migrant and refugee community leadership. The event gathered migrant leaders from all over South Africa to discuss vaccine efficacy with a representative from Doctors without borders to understand the efficacy of new vaccines. The webinar sought to clear up any misunderstandings about Covid-19 vaccines.
We had the privilege to welcome Sister Nompumelelo Matangana from Doctors without borders.
The topics discussed included vaccine efficacy and make-up as well as the experience of a frontline worker deployed at the very beginning of the global pandemic.
Our speaker gave valuable insights into her experiences and expertise: Sister Matangana highlighted that South Africa has always been a Pro-vaccine country and has one of the most vaccine strict programs internationally. She also pointed out that vaccinating people regardless of documentation status in a country is of the utmost importance to gain “Herd Immunity” and bring this pandemic under control. Sister Matangana also stated that the failure of the medical community, civil society and the State to start educating the general public in layman’s terms about the virus and the advantages of vaccines, created the conditions for “Fake news” and false information to take hold.
Sister Matangana had recommended that the general public, civil society and the scientific community should continue to pressure the National government to firstly pressure foreign governments to waive patent rights and gain the patents to vaccine make-up in order to start manufacturing vaccines faster and cheaper as opposed to ordering them from foreign based pharmaceuticals and governments.
The floor was opened to further engage participants and the speaker on the topics discussed as well as provide recommendations.
The participants had reached consensus on a number of recommendations which are detailed below:
Firstly, it was agreed that community leaders and civil society should run information campaigns to familiarise their respective communities with the registration process for vaccines and to help acquaint communities with the healthcare workers in their regions.
Secondly, it was stated that community organs and civil society should increase the intensity of information campaigns regarding public health and the pandemic, which was a sentiment echoed from the previous dialogue.
Finally, it was stressed, with much agreement that the action group created in the first meeting should be at the forefront teaching their community about the Electronic Vaccine Data System or EVDS and dispel any misconceptions surrounding the system.
On the 10th of April 2021, Africa Unite in partnership with Umoja skills development, hosted a webinar on COVID 19 vaccine efficacy which was a follow up on a previous dialogue hosted on the 13th of March 2021 engaging with the migrant and refugee community leadership. The event gathered migrant leaders from all over South Africa to discuss vaccine efficacy with a representative from Doctors without borders to understand the efficacy of new vaccines. The webinar sought to clear up any misunderstandings about Covid-19 vaccines.
We had the privilege to welcome Sister Nompumelelo Matangana from Doctors without borders.
The topics discussed included vaccine efficacy and make-up as well as the experience of a frontline worker deployed at the very beginning of the global pandemic.
Our speaker gave valuable insights into her experiences and expertise: Sister Matangana highlighted that South Africa has always been a Pro-vaccine country and has one of the most vaccine strict programs internationally. She also pointed out that vaccinating people regardless of documentation status in a country is of the utmost importance to gain “Herd Immunity” and bring this pandemic under control. Sister Matangana also stated that the failure of the medical community, civil society and the State to start educating the general public in layman’s terms about the virus and the advantages of vaccines, created the conditions for “Fake news” and false information to take hold.
Sister Matangana had recommended that the general public, civil society and the scientific community should continue to pressure the National government to firstly pressure foreign governments to waive patent rights and gain the patents to vaccine make-up in order to start manufacturing vaccines faster and cheaper as opposed to ordering them from foreign based pharmaceuticals and governments.
The floor was opened to further engage participants and the speaker on the topics discussed as well as provide recommendations.
The participants had reached consensus on a number of recommendations which are detailed below:
Firstly, it was agreed that community leaders and civil society should run information campaigns to familiarise their respective communities with the registration process for vaccines and to help acquaint communities with the healthcare workers in their regions.
Secondly, it was stated that community organs and civil society should increase the intensity of information campaigns regarding public health and the pandemic, which was a sentiment echoed from the previous dialogue.
Finally, it was stressed, with much agreement that the action group created in the first meeting should be at the forefront teaching their community about the Electronic Vaccine Data System or EVDS and dispel any misconceptions surrounding the system.
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