Mtambo makes a strong case  for Covid Vaccine- Urges Malawians to get inoculated

By Durrell Namasani

The Minister of Civic Education and National Unity Timothy Mtambo has urged Malawians to get vaccinated as part of the fight against the Covid19 pandemic. He was speaking in Lilongwe on the daily Covid  briefings.

Government rolled out the Astra Zeneca vaccine inoculations  when President Chakwera and the Vice President Chilima became  the first to receive the vaccine on 5^th March 2021.

Mtambo gave a brief background of Malawi and vaccines highlighting that the country has had a number of vaccines in the past  that includes; vaccines for polio, measles and small pox.   As such, he said,  the Covid vaccine is not different from the other vaccines and that it  works the same way these  other previous vaccines worked.  The minister also pointed out that the vaccine is not Compulsory,  but there is need that everyone should get vaccinated.

Safety

As Malawi is using the Astra Zeneca Vaccine  which has been suspended in some European countries over fears of its safety , Mtambo  assured Malawians that government  is working with the necessary authorities and that the vaccine is safe for Malawians.

“It should be understood that every vaccine has side effects.  However, in most cases, the benefits of the vaccines outweigh the negative side effects. World Health Organization {WHO} is advising countries all over the world to continue administering the vaccine.

Let me also assure Malawians that the vaccine is safe. The vaccine was not made to wipe out the African population as some ill minded people are portraying it on the social media. This is very untrue”. said the Minister

He  acknowledged that there is a lot of misinformation in regard to the vaccine that is being propagated through the social media . So far, Since the roll out of the vaccine in the country , there has not been any complaints about side effects as all those who have received the vaccine have responded well and no one is sick.

“I am reminding you fellow Malawians not to rely on the fake negative information that is propagated through the social media about COVID-19 vaccine.  Phukusi la moyo sasungirana  Let us get information about the vaccine and the pandemic in general from government authorities and health experts and not from unreliable sources such as social media” added the Minister

Civic awareness

The Minister updated Malawians that his  Ministry, in collaboration with Ministries of Health and Information and other stakeholders,  will continue to create awareness on the vaccine and Covid19 in general.  So far the Ministry is engaging traditional and religious leaders  in all the districts of the country with the the aim of imploring them to encourage their subjects and church members to take the vaccine for their own good and for the good of the nation.

Mtambo also expressed concern with some people who only focus on speaking negative things about the Civic Education Ministry with claims that it is not doing enough as a ministry. He said the ministry is working hard

“Last month {February}, the ministry, in collaboration with the Ministry of Information and NICE, conducted a three-week country wide loud hailing campaign on the pandemic through the Public Communication Cluster of the National COVID- 19 Response Plan.  This daily briefing platform is also part of the Ministry’s initiatives”

Mtambo argued that the majority of the people in the country are currently aware of the pandemic, its mode of transmission, and how it can be prevented. The Challenge however is that , some people are  deliberately and selfishly ignoring preventive measures thereby putting their lives and the lives of others at risk.  He urged all Malawians to paly their role in making sure that the battle against the pandemic is won