By Chisomo Phiri
The ministry of civic education and national unity has urged people in the country to get COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca and disregard all fake news circulating on social media platforms against the vaccine.
Speaking on COVID-19 daily updates meeting in Lilongwe the Minister of civic education and national unity, Timothy Mtambo said although there is a downfall trend in the cases of the pandemic being registered on a daily basis this doesn’t mean the pandemic has ended.
He said people should not relax on following the preventative measures against the pandemic.
” Let’s continue observing all roles and regulations the government gazetted in fighting the pandemic. Everyone is encouraged to get the vaccine against COVID-19 so as to win the fight”, Said Mtambo.
Mtambo also said that the government is concerned with the fake news circulating in social media platforms forms about the dangerous side effects of AstraZeneca vaccine which he says it is not true adjust instilling fear in people thereby stopping them to get the vaccine.
” The fight against COVID-19 has also brought in the fight against the fake news circulating in social media platforms about the dangerous of AstraZeneca. My ministry is not giving up to civic educate people to get the vaccine. We are here to give people the true information of the vaccine and encouraging them to get vaccinated so as to win this fight”, He added.
In his comment, one of the country’s mental health experts, Dr Precious Makiyi agreed with Mtambo by advising people to pay more attention to right and relevant sources of information so as to be more sure of what is being rumored and stay free from stresses and anxieties that they may have after or before getting the vaccine.
” I advise people to get information about AstraZeneca vaccine from only right, reliable, relevant and trusted sources of information. You know, we are living in a social media era where everyone can just wake up and start sharing rumors’ without a basis or foundation. People should get the information from only registered Media houses or government outlets as it’s where they can get true information they are looking for” Commented Makiyi.
In his words, the chairperson for presidential taskforce on COVID-19, Dr. Wilfred Nkhoma also argued that people should continue observing the COVID-19 regulations as gazetted by the government and get vaccinated in their nearest health centres in their communities.
It is rumored that in some countries they have stopped giving out the AstraZeneca vaccine to people after noticing that the vaccine has serious side effects on people like blood clotting.
