Meet the nurse who vaccinated President Cyril Ramaphosa

The nurse who gave President Cyril Ramaphosa the Covid-19 vaccination at the Khayelitsha District Hospital earlier this week said she felt “honoured and proud”.

Milanie Bennett made history on Wednesday when she administered the first batch of Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

“I feel very proud and honoured to have administered the first vaccine. We made history and I am very proud to have been part of it,” she said.

Sister Milanie Bennett is the Clinical Programme Co-ordinator at the Khayelitsha District Hospital in Cape Town. She took me through the consent form and explained the inoculation process to me thoroughly before I took the vaccine shot. pic.twitter.com/VnfAkYhDd5

— Cyril Ramaphosa ???????? #StaySafe (@CyrilRamaphosa) February 17, 2021

Bennett completed a vaccinator training course and has been a nurse for 25 years.

“I am thankful for the vaccine and the role I play in administering it. We are now part of making history by fighting Covid-19 through the vaccine. The vaccine will save countless lives,” she said.

She looked forward to being a part of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout.

“I prepared to be part of the vaccination rollout by completing my vaccinator training and registering on the database to also receive the vaccine when it is my turn.”

Bennett encouraged her colleagues and other healthcare workers to be vaccinated.

“Be vaccinated. The vaccine reduces your chances of contracting severe Covid-19,” she said.

She added that her family was very proud.

“My family is very proud of me and supportive of me getting the vaccine. My husband indicated that he will also take the vaccine when it is his turn. I also received a message that my teachers and the community from my hometown are very happy and proud of me.”

The Covid-19 vaccination rollout at Khayelitsha District Hospital will start on Monday and, as a frontline worker, Bennett will be one of the recipients.

As part of the first batch, 13 160 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccines have been allocated to the Western Cape and this allocation is for both the private and public sectors.

The Western Cape Department of Health says it has vaccinated 385 healthcare workers at Groote Schuur and Tygerberg hospitals.

Several private sector frontline workers will also receive their vaccinations at these hospitals over the weekend.

News24

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