Forget Sputnik: Namibians urged to vaccinate

ESTER KAMATIWINDHOEKThe information ministry has launched a new campaign in the Khomas Region to encourage Namibians to get vaccinated against Covid-19.A national roadshow will feature artists and community leaders.This comes on the heels of the health ministry suspending the use of the Sputnik vaccine after research found that it may make men more susceptible to HIV infection.“I know the anti-vaxxers are celebrating Sputnik being stopped because it adds some legitimacy to their calls for people not to get vaccinated.“In any medical instance, there is trial and error and Sputnik as a vaccine would be no different to any other. We see side-effects with the other vaccines as well because that is the nature of medicine,” said Emma Theofelus, the deputy minister of information and communication technology.“There have been recalls of certain foods on our shelves, recalls of cars, but that does not mean that cars are not an enabling vehicle to get us from one point to another or we should ban cars completely.“We cannot say that because Sputnik has been recalled, all the other vaccines should not be taken. I still encourage us to take the vaccines that our medical professionals advise us to take with our underlying conditions.”Theofelus urged all citizens to get injected with the available vaccines.Youth mattersThe deputy minister said the coronavirus does not discriminate, reminding young people who see themselves as less susceptible to the virus that they should still protect themselves.“Since the launch of this vaccination campaign by the ministry of health in March, we saw the older generation being vaccinated, those who of course have underlying conditions.”Theofelus further reprimanded those who question the motives of vaccine manufacturers, stating that these are the same manufacturers who produce other life-saving vaccines against diseases such as tetanus and polio.The campaign will run in the Samora Machel, Tobias Hainyeko, Moses Garoëb and Khomasdal constituencies in the region.Khomas regional governor Laura McLeod-Katjirua said 46 vaccination sites had been set up in the region.“Part of the low observed vaccination uptake is in fact due to vaccination hesitancy and freedom to choose over the common good,” she said.The governor stated that unrestrained freedom may prolong lockdowns.

Forget Sputnik: Namibians urged to vaccinate

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Namibian Sun 2026-07-31

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Forget Sputnik: Namibians urged to vaccinate

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Namibian Sun 2026-07-31

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