​Namhla Zitha
A 28-year-old registered nurse at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, Soweto, Thina Nobanda is encouraging all South Africans to get vaccinated for COVID-19 to prevent severe illness and death caused by infections.  
This after Nobanda was vaccinated at the beginning of March 2021 as part of the Sisonke COVID-19 Vaccine study. 
Nobanda said although she was sceptical at first, she quickly realised that it was safe when all her concerns were answered during her screening before the vaccination.
"They sent me to a waiting area and only a few people were allowed to go in due to COVID-19 regulations," she said.
She was then taken into a cubicle where she was asked whether she had any allergies, or she is on any medications and if she had been immunised in the past four weeks.
She was then asked if she has been infected with COVID-10 in previous months but no later than nine months. 
"After answering all the screening questions, you are given consent to be vaccinated, you then provide the healthcare worker the code that you were sent via a text message after registration. 
"After receiving my COVID-19 shot, I was sent to a recovery room for observation. I was warned to watch out for any discomfort such as tightening of my chest, a swelling tongue, or fever, amongst many others," she said. 
Nobanda said that there was nothing strange from the usual process of vaccination, none of the conspiracies about the COVID-19 vaccine that make people cynical about taking the vaccine were true. 
"I would still advise people to take it, prevention is better than cure, they should also keep in mind that even when vaccinated it does not mean that you will not be infected," she added.