June 29, 2021
Interviewed & Compiled by: Manneh & Jalloh
The safety of the covid-19 vaccine has divided opinion amongst different classes of people and the a-z newspaper was out and about to gauge the opinions of a representative sample among the general population in Freetown.
MOHAMED BAI SANU IS A NEWS VENDOR BY OCCUPATION: I was harboring the intention of going for the Covid-19 Vaccine but the negative news especially on the social media is frightening me. I was further discouraged when reports flourished on social media about a nurse who took the vaccine at Connaught hospital and later died of health complications emanating from taking the jab within seven hours. Despite the trend of negative news on the social media, I would eventually take the vaccine because i believe in God and he would definitely protect me.
But at the moment, the vaccine is not available even at the designated places of administering the vaccine such as Connaught and Macaulay Street hospital.
I checked these hospitals to take the vaccine but I was told that the initial supply has finished.
I’m determined to take the jab even if God has destined that it would kill me.
BOCKARIE ALIEU-I have taken the Sino pharm Covid-19 vaccine and I have not experienced any negative health implication.
When I visited the vaccine center I was shown the AstraZeneca and the Sino pharm but I opted for the Chinese made which is Sino pharm.
Your health status and health history are probed to ascertain the presence of any underlying and opportunistic infections.
According to the health experts the vaccine doesn’t prevents the disease but it will help in boosting your immune system.
JOHN WILLIAMS-People must take the vaccine because Covid-19 is not only present in Sierra Leone but can be found all over the world.
MH Kamara –Warrant officer– I took my first vaccine dose at the ministry of defense on the 13th April during the month of Ramadan.
I took the second dose on the 7th May without experiencing any health complications.
Government will never administer any medication that it knows will kill its people, so I am urging people to take the jab because it doesn’t kill people.
If the government wants to kill its people it can do it in diverse ways and not through the Covid-19 Vaccine.
Rev Agnes Peterson-Initially I was afraid to take the jab but I was persuaded by my spiritual mother after she took the vaccine.
I took paracetamol for any mild pain that would result from taking the jab.
I can safely say that I have taken the two doses of the jab without feeling any side effect.
In fact I’m feeling better than before.
For people to be on the safer side they must explain their health status to the health experts especially for some of us that are over 60 years of years.
People must stop associating any death with the intake of the Covid-19, it would not help the situation.
If you are suffering from ailments such as diabetes, ulcer, asthma you must explain it to the nurse administering the vaccine.
Without doing the needful you will have yourself to blame.
ANONYMOUS– It wrong for people not to take the vaccine.
People must take the vaccine and at the same time put on face masks.
Putting on face masks must go hand in hand with taking the jab.
It is unwise to be wearing face masks and resist taking the jab.
To be on the safer side people must take the vaccine, put on face mask and at the same time practice physical distancing measures.
I am urging people to stop creating mischief by spreading false rumours and misconception about the COVID-19 vaccine, without any evidence to substantiate.