BY KWANELE TSABEDZE
MANZINI – Despite the misinformation and misunderstandings about the COVID-19 vaccination exercises, young influencers in the country are having open discussions about their fears and hopes concerning the vaccine.
Over 20% of the Eswatini population has been vaccinated against COVID-19, according to The Eswatini Ministry of Health. This puts Eswatini among the top 15 vaccinated countries in Africa, in terms of vaccine doses per 100 people.
The ministry continues to roll out vaccination administration around the country, as some still discuss the effects of the vaccinations to individuals and groups alike. It is motivating to see a new generation of entrepreneurs and influencers with different views and experiences on Covid19 vaccinations come together to have a constructive dialogue about it.
Kingdom XLR’s Mzwandile “Lution” Nxumalo and Bagcinele “Krayzie” Fakudze sat down with Gcinimiyalo Ntuli discuss their differing levels of information about Covid19 vaccines.
Kingdom XLR CEO, Mzwandile Lution Nxumalo shared this about the VaxInfo podcast, “The VaccInfo is a youth-led conversational podcast special. The Podcast special delves into topical issues about the global pursuit of a safe and effective vaccine to prevent COVID19. The VaccInfo is a vibrant and edgy podcast co-hosted by Lution, Prof and Krayzie as they share their perspectives and research-findings on the vaccine in a dialogue format. They tackle the complex subject of vaccine hesitancy, and share evidence-based information to help the youth feel prepared to make an informed decision on taking the vaccine.”
In the conversation which has been shared on social media, Nxumalo and Fakudze are the unvaccinated participants in the conversation. Among other things, Ntuli was explaining to them the science-based convictions that led him to vaccinate against Covid-19.
We asked Fakudze about how he was affected by conversation, and how he hopes it will affect other people learning about the vaccine exercise, and he said,
“I learned a lot about the pandemic and how the world is battling it in various ways.
I enjoyed having the conversation with my co-hosts and the perspectives they brought in regards to their views on vaccination.
My hopes are that more people give an ear and join the conversation on vaccination regardless of their initial stance.”
In the kingdom of Eswatini, over 1000 people have died from Covid-19 and related complications. As the number of new infections reduces and the number of vaccinations increases, it is encouraging to see young entrepreneurs have healthy and open dialogue about complex issues that affect livelihoods.
The conversation can be watched on Kingdom XLR’s YouTube channel.
