Leading the charge of vaccinations when the Government of the Republic of Zambia commenced the 2^nd dose vaccinations was HEA Director General, Prof. Stephen Simukanga, who got vaccinated together with his wife, daughter, daughter-in-law and two (2) sons.

HEA Director – Quality Assurance, Dr. Vitalicy Chifwepa, and his wife, Mrs. Katongo Chifwepa, the Permanent Secretary at Management Development Division (MDD) at Cabinet Office also got their second dose on the same day. The Manager – Standards, Research and Institutional Audits, Dr. Orleans Mfune, rounded off the members of HEA Management who got the vaccine at that time.

Speaking after he got his vaccine, Prof. Simukanga emphasised the need to take the 2^nd dose of the vaccine so that the immunity of the body is boosted in its fight against COVID-19.

“We don’t know where this pandemic is going but if there are measures like these by the Government of the Republic of Zambia to either prevent or alleviate the suffering if one gets it (COVID-19) then we should go for it, and I encourage everyone to get it,” Prof. Simukanga said.

In commenting on how he got his entire family to vaccinate, the Director General stated that the importance for everyone to get vaccinated, especially when living together, could not be overstated as everyone is protected.

“When you are living together, it doesn’t make sense when one is vaccinated and others are not, so it’s good and I’m very proud that they all agreed and every member of my family is now vaccinated,” he said.

Prof. Simukanga, with his granddaughter seated on his laps as he spoke, reiterated his call and encouragement for everyone to get vaccinated.

“We have seen and continue to see the catastrophe that the virus is causing as we are losing loved ones, if this can be the solution to this problem, let us go for it so that we can reduce on the mortalities,” Prof. Simukanga concluded.

Speaking after she got her 2^nd dose of the vaccine, the Permanent Secretary stated that the vaccination gave her sense of increased protection.

“I know it’s not 100% and I still have to take certain precautionary measures but I feel confident that I am protected to a certain degree,” Mrs. Chifwepa said.

The Permanent Secretary encouraged everyone to take courage and not to adhere to social media conspiracies but to take the vaccine for their health and protection against the COVID-19 pandemic.

HEA Corporate Communications Officer, Mr. Birbal Boniface Musoba, took the first dose of the vaccine as HEA Management and their families took their 2^nd doses. Mr. Musoba had not taken the first dose during the first round of vaccinations as he was sceptical about the efficacy of the vaccine. However, he relished the chance to take the 1^st dose of the vaccine when the opportunity presented itself during the second round of vaccinations as he had suffered the loss of his family members to the virus, including his uncle, Mr. Martin Musunka, the former Times of Zambia Sub Editor. May His Soul, and the Souls of all those who have succumbed to the virus, Rest in Eternal Peace.

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Prof. Simukanga, who received his first dose of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine back in April, continues to encourage everyone in the eligible to get vaccinated.

“I took the vaccine back in April and I feel fine,” Prof. Simukanga said, continuing, “moreover the side effects after taking the vaccine were not bad, merely consisting of slight headache for one or two days, which was not as bad as I thought.”

In commenting on what he would say to people afraid of taking the vaccine, the Director General stated that though it was not a cure, the vaccination would reduce the effects of COVID 19 if one got it.

The Director General has stated that vaccination is the best chance that the country has to returning to some semblance of normal but also continuing with health guidelines as prescribed by the Ministry of Health.  

In the Statement issued on Sunday, 23^rd May 2021, the Ministry of Health noted that the proportion of persons testing positive among those investigated through various surveillance platforms including at points-of-entry, healthcare facilities, school surveillance, contact tracing and other cluster settings kept rising, with the daily positivity rising to 2.6% from 2.4%.

Furthermore, MoH reported that a total of 134,095 have been vaccinated, of which 128,450 are AstraZeneca Dose 1 and 5,645 are Sinopharm dose 1. Further, 5,067 of those vaccinated with Sinopharm have received their second dose, which translates to 90% of those vaccinated with Sinopharm.

MoH continues to state that everyone must:

1. Mask up correctly and consistently;
2. Maintain physical distance;
3. Wash their hands frequently with soap and water or use hand sanitizer;
4. Avoid crowded places if possible, particularly super spreader events, or stay at home; and,
5. Seek medical attention early if they are symptomatic.