Eswatini begins COVID-19 vaccination ahead of Easter

MANZINI, Eswatini

The Eswatini government finally started its long-awaited national COVID-19 vaccination program on Wednesday ahead of the Easter weekend.

The national campaign started with people above the age of 60 getting the AstraZeneca shot.

In a press briefing, acting Prime Minister Themba Masuku said: “It is encouraging to note that elderly people are flocking to take the COVID-19 vaccine which has been proven to prevent the disease, hospitalization, and deaths.”

“Those of us who have taken the COVID-19 jab can assure all Swazis that the much-feared side effects are nothing we cannot handle,” he said.

Julia Dlamini, 68, said she could not wait to get her jab to save her life from the deadly pandemic. “This pandemic has caused me a lot of pain,” she told Anadolu Agency.

Dlamini, a devout Christian, said she has heard a lot of rumors about the "end times" associated with the pandemic and the safety of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

“The government and the United Nations can’t give us something that would kill us,” she said.

Fearing a third wave, the country’s Health Ministry Tuesday said the country has less than 200 active COVID-19 cases.

With seven new cases confirmed on Tuesday, the Southern African country’s caseload reached 17,333, with 667 deaths and 16,481 recoveries.