Tricky times ahead for the vaccine hesitant
Mbongeni Mguni | Monday January 31, 2022 06:00
Letshego Holdings, the country’s largest microlender employing 148 people across 16 branches in Botswana, has become one of the first companies locally that have requested workers to get vaccinated or stay away from the office.
“Letshego has made the decision to only allow vaccinated employees to work from the office or branches,” a spokesperson told Mmegi this week.
“This provides members of the public with additional assurance that we are, collectively, doing what we can to protect the wellbeing of both vaccinated and non-vaccinated visitors to our premises – be they customers, suppliers, contractors and all other members of our local communities.”
Letshego says the decision is across the 11 countries where it has operations in Africa. Earlier this month, a statement from Letshego Namibia appeared in the media in that country indicating that all workers there were required to be fully vaccinated by January 31, 2022. Unvaccinated employees would not be allowed onto the premises, the statement said.
The holding company’s spokesperson told Mmegi that the microlender subscribes to the guidance of internationally recognised health institutions on the value vaccines provide in generally reducing the most severe symptoms of COVID-19 and thus lowering the number of hospitalisations in communities. Vaccination also reduces the unnecessary burden on the healthcare sector and its workers, the group said. “Those employees who are unable to be vaccinated for any reason are engaged on a one-on-one basis in order for us to provide due guidance and support.
“Letshego remains committed to prioritising and protecting the health and wellbeing of our people and customers, especially in the context of the ongoing pandemic.
“Our employees are encouraged to secure vaccines, in alignment with national and international health guidelines, thereby protecting themselves, their families and those around them from the downside potential of COVID-19 infection,” the spokesperson said.
The group also reports that more than 95% of its workers in Botswana are vaccinated and similar levels are envisaged for the other regional markets.
The developments at Letshego indicate the winds of change blowing over the country in terms of accommodating vaccine hesitancy or reluctance. Vaccine mandates, or the official requirements by governments and corporates for people to be vaccinated to travel, enter certain premises or participate in certain events, have largely been common in parts of the world where the availability of vaccines has been high.
Africa, with less than 10% of its population vaccinated, has had no room or reason to implement vaccine mandates and has lobbied against these measures in the developed world.
However, as vaccine delivery and vaccination rates have improved in the latter part of last year, analysts expect the countries with more of their citizens covered by inoculation, to begin considering vaccine mandates. This week, the Ministry of Health and Wellness announced that by January 11, the country had received the final batch of the 4.7 million vaccines paid for and ordered last year. At least three million doses are reportedly in hand while by January 20, 45.7% of the total population was fully vaccinated. The vaccination rates climb to beyond 70% when only the population eligible for vaccines is considered, which is about 1.53 million.
The large amount of vaccines in hand has enabled health authorities to roll out vaccination to those aged 12 years and above as well as provide boosters across the different vaccines being used in the country.
While no widescale vaccine mandates have been implemented by authorities yet, some hints have been dropped already. Last year, the Botswana Football Association instituted a vaccine mandate for entry into its stadiums when the leagues resumed after a prolonged suspension due to the virus.
In addition, over the festive season, government issued an order in the Government Gazette requiring proof of vaccination at all public gatherings such as festivals, as a way of limiting the spread of the disease, particularly the Omicron variant, which is behind the current wave.
The Omicron variant could be a key factor in hastening the implementation of vaccine mandates. The highly-mutated variant caused global panic after it was first picked in Botswana in late November, but as it declines in the country, total cases, hospitalisations and deaths have been lower than the previous Delta variant-driven wave.
Much of the difference, experts say, is that Omicron came along at a time when more people in the country had been vaccinated as compared to the Delta wave, which thus far has been the deadliest in the country. For healthcare providers, vaccine mandates may become unavoidable in 2022, as the sector desperately needs breathing room to recover from the impact of the four COVID-19 waves experienced thus far. The country’s largest medical aid insurer, Bomaid, has said from February 1, 2022, its full cover of COVID-19 illness and hospitalisation will only apply to the fully vaccinated and those who are otherwise ineligible for vaccination.
“The Board of Trustees has made a decision that it would not be sustainable to continue to offer the COVID-19 Care Benefit to beneficiaries who are eligible for vaccination but have opted not to take the widely available COVID-19 vaccine,” Bomaid CEO, Moraki Mokgosana said in a statement.
With COVID-19 hospitalisation costs ranging between P3,500 and P13,000 per day at local private hospitals, offering unmitigated coverage for the vaccinated and unvaccinated has been weighing on Bomaid’s books. By June last year, Bomaid had fully covered more than 200 hospital admissions for its members, as well as paying the cost for 5,100 tests. The medical insurer, through Emergency Medical Services, had evacuated over 220 cases to the hospital and conducted more than 170 home visits as well.
Yesterday, Health Ministry spokesperson, Christopher Nyanga said besides the vaccine mandate instituted in December for large public gatherings, there were presently no other plans from government.
“Currently that is where we are.
“No other decision has as of now been taken beyond what is stated in the Government Gazette,” he said.
However, analysts believe government-led vaccine mandates, which are already in place in Zimbabwe and Lesotho, may become unavoidable for Botswana.
“That stockpile of three million doses in hand has to be utilised before it expires.
“While the #ArmReady campaign is making some ground, at some point it may become necessary to ask people to officially choose what they want to do.
“Those vaccines have been purchased at great cost, through many difficulties, for the benefit of all citizens and they cannot go to waste,” a local physician told Mmegi.
With authorities such as the World Health Organisation warning that more COVID-19 variants may emerge this year, government and more private sector entities may have to take tough decisions on vaccination this year.