The majority of S Africans don’t want Covid shot, many believe prayer is more effective

Less than 10% of the South African population has received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and the survey shows the hurdle in the government’s drive to vaccinate two-thirds of its citizens.

A majority of South Africans have said they are unlikely to get vaccinated against coronavirus disease (Covid-19) and almost half of them believe prayer is more effective against the virus, according to a survey. While 21% of the 1,600 respondents said they believed prayer and vaccines were equally effective in preventing coronavirus transmission, only a quarter of them believed vaccines are more effective than prayer.

South Africans living in high levels of poverty and those below the age of 35 are most hesitant to get inoculated. On the other hand, half of the respondents with no formal schooling were more inclined to get vaccinated than those with at least a primary education. People living in urban areas showed less willingness to get vaccinated than rural residents.

Less than 10% of the South African population has received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine and the survey, conducted by Afrobarometer, shows the hurdle in the government’s drive to vaccinate two-thirds of its citizens. The survey suggests that South Africans consider themselves well-informed about Covid-19 but do not trust the government to ensure the vaccines are safe.

Afrobarometer said that the survey, conducted in May and June, has a 2.5 percentage point margin of error.

South Africa has reported over 2.4 million Covid-19 cases and more than 70,000 related deaths. While about 7 million people have been administered at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, less than 3 million people have been fully vaccinated.

The Beta variant of coronavirus, first detected in South Africa, was behind the country’s disastrous second Covid wave.

A study found that the Beta variant showed widespread antibody escape for those vaccinated with the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine. The study prompted the South African government to sell the doses of Covishield, a version of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, to the African Union.

News Credits: Hindustan Times World News