Calls for mandatory vaccination for healthcare workers, medical students

Medical Deans are calling for mandatory vaccination against coronavirus for medical students and healthcare workers. They argue that this will prevent them from getting seriously ill, because of the nature of their job that exposes them to COVID-19.

Currently, there is no law in the country that compels people to get vaccinated. Associate Professor at the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Cape Town, Lionel Green-Thompson, says the call is to save lives.

“We are dealing with a problem of a disease which has a high mortality rate, which continues to burden the health system significantly. The reality is that health care workers have carried the burden of the last three waves substantially at the functional level and emotional level –  so what vaccine does it speaks to this environment and offers a solution.”

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