Chatsworth educators were eager to receive their Covid-19 vaccines, despite anxiety over the side-effects.
With the average number of daily new infections more than doubling, a rise in hospital admissions and deaths from Covid-19 increasing by nearly 50%, educators received the vaccines with mixed feelings. While some were anxious about the side-effects, others said this day could not have come sooner. Candice Chetty, a foundation phase educator for five years, said now that she has been vaccinated, she felt a bit more at ease in the teaching environment. “We know that it might be a long time until life returns to normal and adapting to the new normal has been a journey of learning for both learners and educators. We are glad that while we receive the vaccine and some deal with the side-effects, and during the next few weeks when the virus is at its peak, we will be able to stay home and stay safe. “With the new Delta variant being more transmissible than the other types of viruses, making it easier to catch, we are happy to have been given the vaccine and for the closure of schools,” she added. Being in the teaching fraternity for 20 years, a 48-year-old educator, who did not want to be named, said a day after she was vaccinated, she experienced mild flu-like symptoms and treated it like a usual cold with over-the-counter medicine.
“The symptoms are bearable. One has to bear in mind that the mind also plays tricks on you, so you have to be wary of keeping both your mind and your body healthy during this time. The pain at the vaccine site can easily be eased by keeping it warm or by applying over-the-counter medication to the area if need be. We are glad that we are making headway with the vaccination programme and are looking forward to returning to school once it re-opens,” she said. Those who were vaccinated in the sector include educators, administrative and support staff at all public schools irrespective of their age, but school governing body appointed educators, and those educators employed by independent schools registered in terms of the South African Schools Act are still to be vaccinated. The government aims to vaccinate 582 000 educators by 8 July.
