‘Mixed feelings’ for Lesufi after getting J&J jab

Lesufi and Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga marked the first day of the vaccine rollout for the education sector at the Rabasotho Community Centre in Tembisa. 

The Health Department aims to vaccinate over 500 000 teachers and staff across the nine provinces over the next two weeks. 

Lesufi said it was important for him to lead by example and get vaccinated.

"I am feeling well after taking the vaccine, but obviously with mixed emotions. One being that finally, we got this going on, but the regret part of it is that we have lost a lot of time in the education sector. 

"If we had this earlier we would have recovered and protected the future of our children. We can't risk having a generation that misses school. The experts have indicated that with the closure and opening of schools last year we have lost almost between three to five years of schooling. So, it is very important that we recover that lost time and this is the beginning.”

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Motshekga said the department has allocated two weeks for the inoculation drive in the education sector.

"I am elated, I am encouraged and hopeful that what we indeed what we committed as the education sector because we are the ones who put the timelines to say we need two weeks because we don't want to disrupt schooling. When schools close in July we want to be done with vaccinations," she said 

Deputy Health Minister Joe Phaahla confirmed that there are currently 300 000 doses of Johnson on Johnson which are being administered to educators and in the next seven days 700 000 more will arrive. 

Phaahla gave an assurance that there will not be a shortage of vaccines in the education sector.