Malawian UK Nurses to debunk false Covid vaccine claims through webinar

Malawian UK Nurses Association, an embodiment of like-minded Malawian nurses based in the UK, is set to hold an online conference (webinar) on Friday, January 22 aimed at demystifying wrong apprehensions of Covid-19 vaccine.

Dr. Kumwenda-Nyang’wa having her vaccination
One of the speakers, Dr. Kumwenda Nyang’wa
Charity Gladstone, MUNA’s president
The flyer for the webinar

The speakers will be Dr. Maggie Nyirenda-Nyang’wa and Dr. Mas Chaponda — both specialists in immunology and infectious diseases, who are based and practising their profession in the UK.

The Malawian UK Nurses Association’s president, Charity Gladstone said in an interview with Nyasa Times that they have been inundated to organise this webinar following falsehoods about vaccine ingredients, safety, effectiveness and side-effects.

“There is general hesitancy on Covid-19 vaccine,” she said in an interview. “The reluctance or refusal of vaccine is one of the threats to global health.

“A large percentage of Malawians are what is termed as black minority ethnicity group (BAME). Evidence demonstrates that BAME are likely to get severe form of illness and likely to die,” said Gladstone.

She said the aim of the webinar is to provide credible information with regards to the virus vaccine and answer questions to allay fears so that people make informed decisions .”

Issues to be discussed include general information about Covid-19 and vaccination; pathophysiology; complications; types of vaccine and dynamics and importance of vaccination.

One of the webinar speakers, Dr. Kumwenda-Nyang’wa — who is a consultant paediatrician with specialist interest in infectious diseases, immunology and allergy — had her Covid-19 vaccine taken on January 2.

Nyang’wa said she decided to undergo the vaccine (Pfizer BioTench the mRNA) because the virus has disproportionately impacted people of black and ethnic minorities in the West — so had a risk factor of ethnicity.

“As a consultant paediatrician working in the frontline — in emergency department, wards and out-patients, I am exposed daily. I have looked after several patients with Covid-19, which is a much higher risk.

“I need the vaccine to boost my immune system to have a robust antibodies against the Coronavirus so that if I am exposed I can fight it or get a mild disease.”

Her vaccine process was captured on video and posted on social media.

She explained in an interview that the video was done because in her  department they have a number of black and minority ethnicities who were reluctant to getting the vaccine.

“The video was just to encourage the people I have been encouraging all along. Lots of people at work — nurses, doctors, admin staff, clerks, receptionists and medical students — were asking me questions. So the video helped answer groups of people at once.”

In addition to her clinical/research portfolio at University Hospital Lewisham, which has focused on diagnosis and management of infectious diseases including Covid-19, Kumwenda-Nyang’wa is also a visiting lecturer in Global Child Health at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) — focussing on paediatric HIV and global child health.

Nyang’wa is from Rumphi District and says she shall finally return home as she is also an honorary visiting lecturer at College of Medicine (COM) where she teaches immunology to paeds registrars in Paediatric Department.

She also focusses on paediatric infectious diseases and immunology with COM as well as on evaluation of innovative HIV diagnostic techniques for detection of HIV infection in children in resource limited settings.

Nyang’wa is also a Malawi HIV Implementation Research Scientist Training (MHIRST) research fellow. Her research studies span the themes of global health and implementation research.

She is currently collaborating with COM’s infection and immunity team on optimization and validation of innovative point of care tests for diagnosis of COVID-19 in limited resource setting.

Malawian UK Nurses Association (MUNA) was formed in June, 2020 and registered as charitable company in September 2020  and  promotes its members’ welfare by enhancing their living and working standards and act as a catalyst to achieve excellence in Nursing Education and development in the UK and Malawi.

It also contributes to a globally competitive workforce in liaison with local and international partners.

Other MUNA executive members include Patrick Vundule as vice-president; Martin Masangano and  Charlotte Kamundi (secretary); Joyce M’bwana and  Patricia Liyao (treasurer).

The Board of Trustees include Ellen Nkhata as chairperson, Tony Phri (financial director) and Augustine Chipungu (secretary) with other trustees as Patrick Vundule, Gladstone, Brenda Malinki, Dr. Wanangwa Namelo and Agnes Mwenifumbo

Dr. Emmie Malewezi, Tidziwe Malinki, Chifundo Makuta, Sala Kamkhosi Khulumula are in education & projects with Susan Msatida, Stella Mwanza and Clement Ndau in fundraising team.

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Martin Soko
Martin Soko
3 years ago

Malawians,u will die for lack of knowledge and kumvera ma video and watsapp messages abodza,ma conspiracy videos.kodi azungu aka afuna kukuphani mukuona ngati angavutike ndi vaccine??inuyo mukangobadwa u take atleast 3 vaccines mumafusa komwe amachokera??mankhwala onse a malaria and others mu
Apanga ku Malawi??ndiye lero muziti akufuna kukuphani??ku Malawi kuli chani kuti nzumhu apindulapo inuyo mukafa?? Dnt be deceived people of Malawi.my people.amene sakukufunirani zabwino ndi amene akufalitsa ma message oti vaccine ndi woipa
Muphetsa anthu heavy.its sad

John Banda
John Banda
3 years ago

Can some provide contacts for any of the organizers of the webinar please. We want to see how we can join the webinar here in Malawi.

Jima
Jima
3 years ago

Online conference webiner, by nurses and doctors who are in UK, my first question is, do they know were malawi government has strike a deal to buy the vaccine, secondly, is the vaccine developed in the UK the same with German, Russia, India, USA, China etc the same? And finally it is good for the online webiner to take place when you are very sure we’re and which country they will buy from, as the government of malawi we know, will get what is cheaper on the market. So please don’t mislead Malawian people of what is on the ground… Read more »

Kat
Kat
3 years ago

She is in the UK and opted for the Pfizer vaccine not the Oxford one. Firstly can she explain why she has done this? Secondly the Pfizer vaccine is to be stored at temperatures of -70 degrees Celsius meaning that it is highly unlikely that Malawians will be using this one. Just an observation.

Chisale
Chisale
3 years ago
Reply to  Kat

There is no option for any one. The vaccine that is available is given to you. All medical people are being given vaccines for their protection as well as protecting the patients. Remember UK govt pre-ordered these vaccines from several companies.

nafundo zalo
nafundo zalo
3 years ago
Reply to  Chisale

not in the UK. no one is forced to have it.

Benedict Davie Themu
3 years ago

It’s quite obvious that an article as important as this one is targeted at the literati of Malawi which may not be hard to convince to accept the vaccine rather than the other group. Did you ever consider to write such articles in a language that can be understood by that other group?

Khekhi
Khekhi
3 years ago

Koma alemba kuti nyirenda tu inu kumwenda yo bwanji??

ERUTU
ERUTU
3 years ago

Adyapo amenewa kalasiseni ati 😂

Mangochi Kabwafu
Mangochi Kabwafu
3 years ago

A lot of THICK people in Malawi who need schooling. Dpp dunderheads are amongst the lot that need educating. They’ve had several vaccines in their lives without questions yet they want to appear intelligent and knowledgeable this time round. The opposite can’t far from truth though, MBUZI za MBUZI.

Bondo Lamela
Bondo Lamela
3 years ago

Kkkkkkk you know them better

Jah
Jah
3 years ago

I think you are just obsessed with dpp. Kuno ku central region it was worse ana ndi akulu omwe kuthawa ati katemela. MBTS YENIYENI

Read
Read
3 years ago

I encourage you to watch a series called Utopia it was released in 3014 in the uk and has had a 2020 remake by Amazon prime watch both if possible.

Wawo
Wawo
3 years ago
Reply to  Read

Oooo 3014

gogo petulo
3 years ago
Reply to  Wawo

Pa chakapo tilankhuleni 3014????????

nafundo zalo
nafundo zalo
3 years ago

just like people had so many humbergers
hot dogs
chicken nuggets.
for decades and never asked whats in it.
lots of vaccines gotten and never asked whats in it.
today they want to know whats in ithis vaccines.
nde tiwapemphe okhoza katemelawo atipangile wa fridhe free. nanga kwathu kuno tikwanisa????? khayatu

Mavutos
Mavutos
3 years ago

Dr wangai mathai ‘Nobel leaureate’ of Kenya once said that these viruses are deliberately created as part of biological welfare, so is the associated vaccine. So BAME as you put it have every right to be concerned.

gogo petulo
3 years ago
Reply to  Mavutos

Mongokonzana: Biological warfare, not welfare

Joseph Banda
Joseph Banda
3 years ago
Reply to  Mavutos

That is a lie. It has been claimed that she on one occasion said: “AIDS is a biological weapon manufactured by the developed world to wipe out the black race”, however she claimed that she was misquoted. In any case she never said that about vaccines.

Mzeedi
Mzeedi
3 years ago

Malawians it’s better to order a few doses and conduct clinical trials on those willing to get inoculated, observe the effects and then make decision on whether its safe to roll on massive and compulsory scale.

Our government is not coming out clear as to how they will handle this vaccine programme. So if true regarding the indemnity agreement with vaccine manufacturers, then already govt is on wrong track. Because government is accepting the risks associated with the vaccine without having observed the effects.

China
China
3 years ago
Reply to  Mzeedi

Vaccine takes time to produce izi zangopangidwa within months how safe is it?Dont lie to us by pushing azungu agendas if you want to be a sell out wa azungu zipangani ife takana vaccine

gogo petulo
3 years ago
Reply to  China

MMMmmmm komatu zinazi tiyeni tichenjere otherwise titha kumangokana kamba kakuti wina watinamiza.

MANIES KOCHELANI
MANIES KOCHELANI
3 years ago
Reply to  China

Kodi Mu exam room Ngati examination paper ili ya 2hrs And one student completes it in 45min Ndiye kuti sakankhoza? Ena amamaliza the whole 2hrs koma kulepherabe. So the period taken to develop the vaccine Doesnt really matter Its the effort scientists put in developing this vaccones and they realised they had to work in a hurry taking into account the alarming late the virus is killing people The scientists spends sleepless nights working on the vaccine thats y the vaccine was developed so quickly Unlike in other pandemics,this pandemic has hit the whole world,and more especially the developed countries… Read more »

Joseph Banda
Joseph Banda
3 years ago
Reply to  Mzeedi

United States have 400,000 dead of a population of 328 million so far and the spread is accelerating. That’s a fatality rate of 0.12% so far, meaning that in a population of 10,000, 12 people have died. And that is with a health care system far superior to ours. We should not expect to escape this statistics in Malawi. On the contrary, we should expect it to be even worse with a struggling health care system and social distancing being a real challenge for everyday Malawians. The vaccines would have to have a mortality rate exceeding that of the virus… Read more »

Mwini muzi
Mwini muzi
3 years ago
Reply to  Joseph Banda

Going by the method of your calculation, the fatality rate from COVID19 is negligible. If you however calculate those that die per day against those attacked compared to those who die per day against those attacked by other viruses, then COVID19 is very scary.

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