With the vaccination rollout underway at schools, Eugenia Paulo-Goagoses a teacher at Masiphatisane Primary School, was one of the first to receive the vaccine.
She travelled all the way from Vredenburg to Pinelands in Cape Town to receive her vaccine. Paulo-Goagoses says the jab of the needle was not that bad. “Everyone’s bodies are different and will react differently, but it was not a painful experience.”
Paulo-Goagoses says she a had a bit of muscle ache for about a day, but all is well again. She is positive about the vaccine and urges everyone who can take the vaccine to do it.
Minister of Education Debbie Schäfer urges all eligible basic education sector staff members to take this opportunity to contribute to getting schools back to some semblance of normality. “While the vaccine cannot stop our staff members from getting Covid-19, and we still have to follow safety protocols, it will protect them from serious illness,” she said. “We have lost so many to this pandemic. Let us do all we can to keep our staff – and our schools – safe.”
The Pinelands EMS site will ramp up to 1 100 vaccinations a day, and is one of two mass sites in the metro. The Tygerberg Hospital site will ramp up to 1 400 per day. A further 27 sites of varying sizes are dispersed across the province, ranging from 20 to 250 vaccinations per day. The sector roll-out will end on Thursday 8 July.
Schäfer and the Western Cape Education Department is thankful to her and the provincial Department of Health and all the health workers of this province. “They have responded in a phenomenal fashion to this pandemic, and now give their support to our vaccination effort,” she said.
Schäfer adds that health workers have served residents with passion and commitment, without giving up, through one of the greatest challenges the country has ever faced.
“They have approached this roll-out with the efficiency and grace that is the hallmark of health care in our province, and we are grateful for their continued support.”
