BY ILA ALBERTS
Die Matie asked students around campus how they felt about the COVID-19 vaccine, as well as the government’s vaccination programme. These were their responses.
Francois van Wyk, eerstejaar-BCom (Bestuurswetenskappe)-student. Nie ingeënt nie.
“Ek voel Suid-Afrika moet definitief hulle sokkies optrek. My ouma het twee weke terug geregistreer. Mense wat nie die entstof wil kry nie moet besef dat if Bill Gates wants to inject you with 5G… if he [were] that smart, Malinda would’ve signed a prenup.”
Mondli Ndebele, final-year BEng(Mechanical) student. Unvaccinated.
“My mom has been vaccinated, as well as a few friends in the medical field. The government’s vaccination programme seems quite poor at the moment… but as South Africans we’re used to the corruption.”
Maymarie van den Heever, derdejaar-BIng (Bedryfsingenieurswese)-student. Nie ingeënt nie.
“Ek en my ma het eintlik in die tou gestaan in Johannesburg. Ons het 10:40 [gearriveer] en toe ry ons [19:30] van die plek af, so dit het baie lank gevat, maar ja. Sy is ingeënt. ’n Miljoen is al gevaccinate, so dis nie te sleg vir Suid-Afrika en waar die ekonomie is nie, so ek is nogal heel impressed. Ek sal dit net self kry as ek moet travel.”
Riaan Calitz, vierdejaar-BIng (Elektries en Elektronies)-student. Nie ingeënt nie.
“Ek sal die entstof kry as ek wil gaan travel of iewers heen gaan en dit ’n vereiste [is]. As dit nie nodig is nie, sal ek dit nie kry nie. Ek ken al ’n paar mense wat ingeënt is. Ek weet nie veel van wat die regering se plan is en so nie. Miskien sou dit gehelp het as hulle so ’n bietjie meer inligting versprei het oor die inentings en hoe ver hulle al daarmee [is].”
Lize Burger, first-year BA (Humanities) student. Unvaccinated.
“My uncle and my aunt have been vaccinated. He is a diabetic. I don’t know too much about the vaccination programme, but I’m quite impressed at the rapid rate that they are giving vaccinations. I understand [that people might not want to take the vaccine], since there is definitely an atmosphere of mistrust and just confusion, especially regarding one’s health.
But ultimately I would encourage it, since there is not another solution to the problem. I would take the vaccine. My father is high-risk. I predict it is going to become mandatory.”
Jacquiline Choi, second-year BsC(Physiology) student. Vaccinated.
“The vaccination went well. It was a quick jab. The process was a bit tedious, for the right reasons in my opinion. My brother has been vaccinated, because he is a healthcare worker. In my opinion it is a pretty good vaccination programme.
The vaccine is free, firstly, so regardless of your financial well-being, literally anyone can get the vaccine. It is also pretty accessible – it’s not like you have to go to one specific hospital. I also feel like it’s pretty fair. It is someone’s own choice to get the vaccine, but their choice could also be the reason for someone to live another day and it might not necessarily be someone they know, but it is still a life nonetheless.”
