Wednesday, May 25, 2022
  • About Us
  • ImagiNATION
  • Adverts
  • Rate Card
  • Contact Us
The Nation Online
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Life & Style
    • Every Woman
      • Soul
      • Family
    • Religion
    • Feature
  • Society
  • Columns
  • Sports
  • Chichewa
  • Enation
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Life & Style
    • Every Woman
      • Soul
      • Family
    • Religion
    • Feature
  • Society
  • Columns
  • Sports
  • Chichewa
  • Enation
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Home Columns My Turn

Unmasking Covid-19 vaccine

by Nation Online
03/03/2021
in My Turn
4 min read
0
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare on LinkedinLinkedinShare via Email

Globally, as of March 1 2021, there have been 114 million Covid-19 cases with 64.4 million recoveries. Sadly, 2.53 million people succumbed to this pandemic. Out of these, Malawi registered over 1 000 deaths. May their souls rest in eternal peace.

In response, several measures have been put in place to contain the pandemic and more recently, deployment of Covid-19 vaccine. Malawi has procured Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines as one way of stopping to the deadly virus. Malawi is expected to receive 100 000 vaccines from the African Union for frontline health workers and a further 1.5 million doses is expected this month.

As one way of preparing the ground, Unicef has shipped in 360 000 single-use auto-disable syringes and 3 625 safety boxes for the disposal of the syringes. A further 2.16 million syringes and 21 600 safety boxes are expected to arrive mid-March 2021 by sea.

Amidst all these developments, the country seems to be engrossed in some negativity around the vaccine. The bottom line to all this implies that we all need more engagement and discussion as Malawians with a view to demystify some of the viewpoints being shared.

Getting vaccinated is one of many steps Malawians need to take to protect ourselves from further episodes of Covid-19. Stopping a pandemic like Covid-19 requires using all the tools available and a vaccine is one such tool.

A single vaccination, for instance, will prevent the coronavirus from further spreading and replicating. Vaccines work with our immune system so our body will be ready to fight the virus if one is exposed.

Other steps such as masks, hand washing and social distancing help reduce the chance of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others. Together, Covid-19 vaccination and following government’s recommendations to protect yourself and others will offer the best protection from Covid-19 for Malawi and the global community.

To understand how the Covid-19 vaccines work, consider looking at how our bodies fight illness. When germs, such as coronavirus, invade our bodies, they attack and multiply. This soldier-like invasion, called an infection, is what causes illness.

Within the information and communication technology arena, some of you have been victims of virus attack on your computers or similar gadgets. To prevent further episodes, anti-viruses have been installed and updated to deal with emerging strains. Similarly, our immune system through the aid of blood cells termed as T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes uses several tools to fight infection.

Take note that getting a Covid-19 vaccination, just like having an anti-virus on your computer or smartphone, is not a guarantee that one will not be infected. The first time a person is infected with the Covid-19 virus, it can take several days or weeks for the body to make and use all the germ-fighting tools like T-lymphocytes and B-lymphocytes needed to get over the infection. The vaccine will assist with a supply of “memory” cells that will remember how to fight that virus in the future if the body encounters the same virus again.

Therefore, it is possible that a person could be infected with the virus that causes Covid-19 just before or just after vaccination and then get sick because the vaccine did not have enough time to provide protection.

Sometimes after vaccination, the process of building immunity can cause symptoms, such as fever and most of you might have seen this in your under-five babies. These symptoms are normal and are a sign that the body is building immunity.

Covid-19 vaccine presents, perhaps the best hope for Malawians for ending the pandemic and the unnecessary deaths; hence, allowing the world and Malawi in particular, to return to normality.

Given a chance to get a single jab from the few vaccines to be made available to few Malawian adults, I would urge you to grab that rare chance without any delays. Whether you are a frontline worker, teacher or even a scribe like me, roll up your shirt to get that first jab and even the second one if made available.

Previous Post

Cylinders of hope for idle stadium

Next Post

FAM suspends BB’s kajoke

Related Posts

Capital Hill has kept some temporary employees for over 16 years
My Turn

Rescuing civil society from State capture

May 21, 2022
My Turn

Out devil, devil in

April 27, 2022
My Turn

Msce results system smothers newcomers

April 20, 2022
Next Post
Kajoke: It was irresponsible for me to break the Covid-19 protocols

FAM suspends BB’s kajoke

Opinions and Columns

People’s Tribunal

What was that press briefing all about?

May 22, 2022
Big Man Wamkulu

Wife, in-law plotting my downfall

May 22, 2022
My Thought

Tonse Alliance died on arrival

May 22, 2022
Layman's Reflection

New IMF programme pivotal moment for Tonse Alliance

May 21, 2022

Trending Stories

  • Kalindo: I am hearing it from you

    Kalindo earmarked for diplomatic post

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Musician Martse in hospital after fire accident

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Musicians, fans mourn Martse

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • APM under pressure

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Cooking oil project impresses Chilima

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0

Malawi-Music.com Top10

  • Values
  • Our Philosophy
  • Editorial policy
  • Advertising Policy
  • Code of Conduct
  • Plagiarism disclaimer
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use

© 2022 Nation Publications Limited. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Life & Style
    • Every Woman
      • Soul
      • Family
    • Religion
    • Feature
  • Society
  • Columns
  • Sports
  • Chichewa
  • Enation

© 2020 Nation Publications Limited. All Rights Reserved.

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.