South Africa, which fought to obtain too rare, too expensive Covid vaccines before laboriously launching its immunization campaign with great delay, is now facing a worrying rejection of the vaccine by part of its population.
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In front of this vaccination center in Johannesburg, the line was continuously lengthening a few weeks ago.
Today, only three people are there, lost in this huge gymnasium requisitioned since the start of the mass vaccination in May, the sleeve raised for the injection.
"I am very afraid of the vaccine"
Parked in front of the entrance, Muzi, a 32-year-old minibus taxi driver, takes a dim view.
“
I'm very scared of the vaccine,
” he says.
He then recounts knowing a woman, who according to him died of having been vaccinated: "
She was perfectly fine before
".
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To date, only 11% of adults in a population of 58 million are fully immune.
The country officially the most affected in Africa currently vaccinates the over 35s and opens Friday to those over 18.
South Africa already has more than 2.6 million cases and nearly 78,700 deaths.
But despite the still rising curves, fewer than 200,000 people per day are currently presenting for vaccination, below the target of 300,000.
The government plans to vaccinate 28 million people by the end of the year, or 70% of adults.
There is "fatigue" towards vaccines
The country is experiencing "
apathy or fatigue with regard to vaccines,
" Nomafrench Mbombo, of the Western Cape Province's Ministry of Health, warned Thursday.
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The government had been sharply criticized for having delayed in the race to acquire vaccines.
But it has since managed to obtain tens of millions of doses and South Africa has even become the first country on the continent to produce vaccines locally.
Lori Bentley, 59, took a seat in the line up in front of the gym.
But in her family, she is one of the few who believe in the effectiveness of the vaccine.
According to her relatives, scientists "
could not develop an effective vaccine in such a short time,
" she says.
A "sex strike" to motivate men
Of particular concern is rejection by men in South Africa, according to a recent study.
In the country, 60% of those vaccinated are women, the Minister of Health recently alarmed.
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To urge men to get vaccinated, South African poet and actress Lebogang Mashile called on South Africans to a “
sex strike
”.
"
For our good, women need to condition
'
pumpum
'
(sex) for vaccination,
" she tweeted.
The government, for its part, has attempted a targeted SMS campaign asking "
all men in South Africa to register
" for the vaccine.
But according to health journalist Pontsho Pilane, lack of trust in the government is also a factor.
The authorities, for their part, accuse the anti-vaccines of being responsible for carrying out a campaign of disinformation.
According to a July study by the University of Johannesburg, skeptics cite three main concerns: side effects, vaccine effectiveness, and mistrust of the vaccine and / or institutions.
In vaccination centers that operate in a dribble fashion, some caregivers have launched calls to come and get vaccinated on social networks.
At the same time, several organizations including mosques, farms, mines, pharmacies and even insurance companies have opened vaccination sites to facilitate access to the vaccine.