Children from 12 to 17 receive their vaccine in Sandton

Sandton Islamic Association offered its location in Duxberry to assist with the provision of the Covid-19 vaccines.

The Department of Health recently announced that children from the ages of 12 to 17 would be eligible to get one jab of the Pfizer vaccine from October 20.

Musjid-ud-Duha, a mosque situated in Sandton, had its staff members – including volunteers for the Vax in Sandton drive-thru operations – excited and hopeful as they witnessed the very first batch of children from 12 to 17 receive one dose of the vaccination. The warm welcomes from the doctors, the site facilitator and the volunteers made it easier for the children, accompanied by their relatives, to ha the jab.

Children from various age groups, backgrounds and races came together as one to protect themselves and their community against the pandemic on October 23. People could receive their jabs by either walking in or within the safety of their vehicles.

Father, Douglas Davids, said, “I was enlightened and surprised that he came up with the plan on getting the vaccination shot. I am proud of him.”

After receiving her shot, 12-year-old Maria Ndlovu said, “I woke today and told my mother that I wanted to get the vaccine and I feel good at the moment. I was scared in the beginning but I saw that it was not bad. My advice to children like me who are still scared of getting their first jab is to not be afraid. The shot only takes a few seconds, you blink and it’s done.”

Genevieve Vilgoen, who has been volunteering at the Vax in Sandton drive-thru for six weeks, said, “I love seeing the children’s enthusiasm, they are so excited and you can see that they really want to make the world a better place by making it safe for themselves and the people around them. Seeing all types of friendly young faces today was my biggest highlight of the year.”