The entire world is currently experiencing the desolation and devastation of a deadly virus. The Covid-19 has spread throughout the world affecting more than 300 countries and millions of people with discouraging morbidity and mortality figures. Mauritius with a current population of approximately 1.3 million has successfully vaccinated more than 800,000 people. With the collaboration of some countries, the BioNTech, Pfizer, Covaxin, Johnson & Johnson, Oxford, AstraZeneca, Sinopharm BBIBP, and Sputnik vaccines have been administered to the Mauritian Citizens.
This BioNTech Pfizer vaccine has proven to be more than 90% effective, including against the Delta variant. As a reminder, the United States recently announced the purchase and distribution of 500 million doses of Pfizer to 92 countries including Mauritius, intending to be “Covid free” again.
The 76,050 doses of the Pfizer vaccine that arrived in Mauritius on Thursday, September 23rd, are being used predominantly for scholars. It is being administered in two doses; the second dose will be administered between 21 and 28 days after the first to get time to analyze any repercussions.
Intending to achieve herd immunity, the Covid-19 vaccination campaign for the scholars aged 15 to 17 began on Tuesday the 28th of October 2021, succeeding the effective inoculation of front liners and the general public. A group of Medical Health Care from the Ministry of Health visited 10 colleges on the island to vaccinate 2,735 students with the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Parents were required to accompany their children on the given vaccination dates. Without their presence, despite the signature on the consent registration form, their children could not get vaccinated.
Along with Dr Maurice Curé SC, a total of 125 private, state, denominational secondary schools are being engaged by the current campaign, which will end on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. No classes are held on vaccination days.
Despite the state's efforts to be "covid free" again, their hands are tied against some parents who are fiercely opposed to the vaccination of their children. Though some said that the jab will reduce disruption to education, several concerns are linked to this opinion; a Grade 10 student revealed that: “My mother told me she does not want me to get vaccinated as she was pretty sick after her two doses of the vaccine. There is too much vagueness about the effectiveness of vaccines and too many side effects. People have died after vaccination.” Other parents are concerned about the impact of the vaccine on their daughters' puberty. After their vaccination, mothers have noticed that their menses had stopped and fear the same for their teenage girls. There are also those parents whose children have been infected with Covid-19. And due to the lack of information on the injection in this case, they do not know if getting vaccinated now is the best option for their kids. “I do not know if this is rational for my child who tested positive some months ago and what the consequences will be on his development. I have not made up my mind yet, "concedes a father.
As to whether vaccination will determine ingress to school for learners, as it did for staff members, we will have to wait. In the circular that the Ministry of Education had issued to the attention of school officials, it is written: "The course of action for those students who weren’t willing to be vaccinated will be communicated by the Authorities in due course." But denying access to school will amount to depriving the learner (moreover a minor) of their right to education, which amounts to a violation of the Charter of the Rights of the Child.
Two students from Dr Maurice Curé SC gave their opinions on them being vaccinated. Sufyaan said “I tried to be as wonted as I could about it. Immediate change is out of the question but living with it is what we must do.”
But Haniyyah asserted contrarily: “I felt very apprehensive. Getting the email was much unexpected and I was trying to reassure myself as I have a fear of injection.” They also mentioned how the atmosphere was really tense as many students also felt nervous on that day, and a few of them even lost consciousness. The pandemic has impacted almost every corner of life, causing global economies to stall, changing the way we work and interact with our loved ones, stretching healthcare systems to the limit, and even the once staple way of learning. Governments around the world have been forced to implement harsh restrictions on human activities to curb the spread of the virus.COVID-19 vaccination is now offering a way to transition out of this phase. Without them, many scientists believe that natural herd immunity would not have been sufficient to restore society to its normal and that it would have resulted in an absolute disaster.
Writer: Deepsheeka Gopaul, Interviewer: Ayush Erkadoo, Editor: Tanvi Ramful
Simran Valligan