7 September 2021 02:15 am Views - 496
By JAMILA HUSAIN
Health authorities yesterday urged all those above 30 years and those above 60 years who are yet to be vaccinated, to come forward and take their jabs after alarm bells have rung over an anti-vaxxers movement that was forming here, due to myths and misconceptions mostly preached by some religious leaders.
The Daily Mirror learns from medical experts that some religious leaders in certain areas had been falsely preaching that the vaccines could cause fertility issues while some people had a strong belief that the vaccines were harmful.
Therefore there were a significant number of those above 30 years who were yet to be vaccinated, causing alarm for health workers at a time when the Delta variant and its mutations were rapidly spreading in and beyond the Western Province.
Till yesterday the total death toll from the COVID-19 virus had already passed the 10,300 mark.
Health workers say that an estimated 225,000 people who were above the age of 60 years were yet to receive their doses and some were with core morbidities.
Doctors have urged all citizens from the targetted age groups to take their jabs, urging them not to believe in these myths especially preached falsely by some religious leaders.
"It is difficult to get rid of false delusions such as the vaccine will cause infertility and make one impotent. There is no truth to this. We urge people not to fall prey to this information and take their vaccines," medical experts said.
They further urged people not to have any preference to one specific vaccine and to take what is available.
If people, especially those above 60 years who are facing genuine reasons for not being vaccinated yet, like being unable to travel to a vaccination center or have certain fears due to some illnesses they may be suffering from, these people have been requested to contact medical experts for further clarification and assistance.