- Lerato Moletsane had made up her mind she would not go for the Covid-19 vaccine.
- After her own battle with the virus she has, however, changed her mind.
- She is now a firm believer in getting the vaccine.
When the Covid-19 vaccination programme was announced in South Africa, Lerato Moletsane was adamant she would not get the jab.
The 49-year-old banker from Dobsonville, Soweto, said she was easily swayed by the misinformation on Covid-19 vaccines on social media and opinions based on conspiracy theories.
"I've been getting conflicting information about the vaccine. I was like, argh, you know what, I don't think I'll go for it. And believe me, I believed very much in it. I never went for a second opinion," Moletsane told Health24.
"People were saying this is a conspiracy, that Bill Gates wants to own Africa, so he's going to give us vaccines, and we are all going to die.
"And I thought that maybe there is some truth to it. So let me rather be without it," she added.
Her turning point
On 17 June 2021, Moletsane's police officer husband tested positive for Covid-19. Soon after, she started having symptoms and tested positive too. This was her eye-opener.
"I was sick from the very day he told me that he tested positive. I got sicker than him, and he is not a person who exercises.
"I think I am fairly fit because I run a lot. It knocked me out. I went nine days with no food, just consuming liquids. I am a resilient person, but this thing made me cry," she said.
"That's why now I think I need to go and get vaccinated."
'I love travelling'
Moletsane added her will to live had motivated her to get the jab later this month.
"I look after my four-year-old nephew. He can't play with other kids outside. He has to watch TV to keep himself entertained. I want a normal childhood for him where he can play with other kids too."
Her love for adventure is a driving force for her to advocate for Covid-19 vaccines.
"I love travelling, and if I don't vaccinate, then my chances of travelling again are very limited," she said.
Due to her experience of contracting Covid-19, she now not only wants to protect herself but her family too.
"I took my mother for her second shot today. I am very excited about that," she said.