Cobie Roelvert, Wynberg
Dr EV Rapiti’s letter refers. I appreciate the urgency that many doctors may feel in getting the population vaccinated. In response, though, I wonder why few medical experts make mention of the range of measures that could accompany the vaccination programme, such as those that strengthen health and build resilience.
Nutrition and exercise come to mind. Learning to deal with fear and anxiety is another important aspect.
These negative feelings weaken the immune response, and the fear that is instilled (often also by the medical experts) can be debilitating. But we can learn to overcome these, especially if one puts the statistics in perspective. (In many countries the chances of remaining healthy or of fully recovering when infected are in the high 90%.) How can we support one another to build trust and confidence, those positive feelings that strengthen the immune system?
So that we do not see the vaccine as “the only hope”, but part of a bigger picture that we can embrace.
