Vaccination a jab of hope for healthcare workers

After a sleepless night marked by a mix of anxiety and excitement, Dr Mark Kadish woke up on Tuesday morning, 23 February, ready for a historic occasion: his long-awaited vaccine against COVID-19.

“I woke up on an emotional rollercoaster,” the GP told the SA Jewish Report. “I sat with my wife and reminisced about this past year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how it had been working in healthcare. All healthcare workers and their support staff are mentally, physically, and emotionally depleted. As I entered the vaccination environment, I was overwhelmed with emotion.”

Kadish is one of thousands of South African healthcare workers who have at last received their shot of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine in recent days. The first leg of South Africa’s vaccine rollout programme is well underway, and in spite of some complications and frustrations, almost 40 000 healthcare workers across the country were expected to be inoculated by Wednesday, 24 February.

“I feel grateful and blessed to have received the vaccination,” says Kadish. “I feel privileged and at the same time so excited to be able to hug my family again. Driving back to my practice from my vaccine, I can honestly say I felt more hopeful and optimistic.”

The sense of relief amongst several doctors is especially significant following the frustration which beset the rollout previously. In the wake of the cancellation of the AstraZeneca vaccine rollout, many doctors were again disappointed on Sunday, when they were unable to receive their shots at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital.

“A number of GPs had registered for their vaccine and went on Sunday, only to be told Baragwanath wouldn’t be running because it was a weekend,” says pulmonologist Dr Anton Meyberg, who had booked for this vaccination slot. “A lot of them then went to Steve Biko Academic Hospital, and it was absolute chaos.

“More than 2 000 people were there, with queues on top of each other. They don’t have the facilities for people to be there, and people were being told to leave. It was a feeding frenzy.”

Thanks to the efforts of Netcare, however, Meyberg was able to secure a second booking for Tuesday, going to Baragwanath Hospital with fellow specialist Dr Carron Zinman.

“I was pleasantly surprised,” says Zinman. “The process was organised and efficient, with healthcare workers standing in designated queues with strict distancing. I joined the Netcare queue, presented my ID and booking number, and completed some forms. It felt like I was back at school.”

Carefully spaced groups of vaccinees were ushered into a hall and positioned at individual stations, greeted by a nurse ready to administer the vaccine.

Zinman recounts, “Bara had drawn up individual doses. There was a syringe with your name and number on it waiting, and after you got it, they waited to see if you had any immediate reaction. Women burst into song and clapped as we stepped outside to be monitored for anaphylactic reaction. It was a beautiful moment.”

Though the vaccine won’t change her social distancing habits or wearing of personal protective equipment, Zinman says it offers some relief and hope.

“I’m happy it’s done,” she says. “We’re still seeing positive patients, and though we’re wearing our equipment, you have a feeling that maybe the vaccine adds another layer of protection.”

Meyberg was equally elated.

“Fighting COVID-19 means working hard, putting life on hold, and risking your family,” he says. “The vaccine felt like getting some hakarat hatov [gratitude], something to say that people appreciate the risks you and your family take daily.”

Other healthcare workers in the Jewish community had equally moving experiences, in spite of many initially being let down by events on Sunday.

“I was as nervous about driving to Bara as I was about getting the vaccination,” admits GP Dr Lana Marcus. “I hadn’t been there since 2006. There was a lot of anxiety about logistics and parking, and obviously about the vaccine.

“I had an idea of what to expect based on photos shared by other GPs, and I was really impressed with the setup. It was smooth, there was no crowding, it was well-explained, and the staff were friendly.

“I now no longer have the holy terror of catching COVID-19.”

Dr Monique Price, the Chevrah Kadisha’s senior medical doctor, described her vaccination as an out-of-body experience.

“My rescheduled appointment was at 15:20 on Monday, and within a few minutes, I was in the observation area,” she says.

“When I had it, I felt on a high and part of something momentous and positive. Only two weeks ago, we weren’t sure any of us would get it when the AstraZeneca vaccine was cancelled.”

If the successful rollout so far shows how things can be done at a public tertiary hospital, Price feels that the rest of the country can surely follow suit and everyone can be vaccinated.

“13 March marks a year since the Chevrah Kadisha closed the doors to its facilities,” she says. “I would love to open them again, but that can happen only when it’s safe. It’s still some way off, but this is possibly the beginning of a positive change.”

After some initial scepticism, GP Dr Daniel Israel says his vaccination this week offered some much-needed light at the end of a long tunnel.

“There was some concern about GPs because they don’t fit into either public or private healthcare systems,” he says. “They’re on the frontline, so it’s important they get their shots, too.

“I had the attitude that I would believe it only when I saw the needle in my arm. When I saw all the incredible work being done by volunteers at Bara, however, I was reminded of the election in 1994 and felt that people were coming together and uniting for a common, important goal. People pulled together and made it happen.”

Doctors being vaccinated is a beacon of light, Israel says. “Time will tell if the vaccine is fully effective, but it’s a wonderful thing, and I feel a little safer.”

Dr Gilad Mensky, who works in intensive-care at Baragwanath Hospital, paid tribute to the efforts of the hospital and all volunteers involved. He was vaccinated last week.

“Bara has done an outstanding job,” he says. “You really felt safe. Heads of department and senior doctors were on the floor ushering people and helping them. You felt the commitment and the enthusiasm.

“We’ve all gone through an emotional derailment, and it was nice to get some upliftment at last. A vaccine isn’t a right but a privilege, and I’m honoured to have received it.”

Says Meyberg, “We will still wear our masks and maintain protocols as we wait for herd immunity as more people get vaccinated. People need to understand that more vaccines are on the way, and that everyone will get it. There’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes, and we are seeing the results.”