WATCH | LOL! Chester Missing says puppets are 'last in vaccination queues' but he'll get the jab

26 January 2021 - 13:00 By unathi nkanjeni
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Chester Missing has vowed he will be vaccinated. File photo.
Chester Missing has vowed he will be vaccinated. File photo.
Image: Alon Skuy

As SA prepares to roll out the Covid-19 vaccines, controversial puppet Chester Missing has vowed to get the jab.

In a video posted on social media, Missing said he will be vaccinated even though he is a puppet.

“I’m fairly sure puppets are the very last people in the vaccination queue, right between Tupperware and Barbie dolls, but I will be there,” he said.

The puppet said he was tired of not being able to touch his face and he wants to protect his “granny” from dying.

“I choose to vaccinate because no matter how much Zam-Buk you rub on yourself, Covid-19 is not going to go away without real medicine, even if you’re using the cherry flavour. I choose to vaccinate because I want to touch my face again, I haven’t touched my face in over a year and it itches,” said Missing.

LISTEN | Dr Anban Pillay answers our vaccine questions

He said he also chooses to vaccinate because he used up all his data on Zoom meetings screaming, “Can you hear me? Can you hear me now?”

“I choose to vaccinate because I look ridiculous in a mask. I choose to vaccinate because I care about myself and my fellow South Africans.”

Watch the hilarious video below:

LISTEN | Dr Anban Pillay answers our vaccine questions

Subscribe for free: iono.fm | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Pocket Casts | Player.fm

TimesLIVE reported that vaccines are set to roll out as early as February 1.

Medical Supplies Depot CEO Dumisani Malele said the rollout will depend on whether the depot receives the vaccines by end of the week.

“We have procured one million vaccines from India which are expected to reach SA by the end of the week and we expect to start vaccinations by February 1,” he said.

The vaccines will be handed out according to the need in each province. The rollout will be divided into two phases.

The first phase is for health-care practitioners and is divided into categories from most important:

  1. health-care workers who work with aerosol-generating procedures (those intubating patients);
  2. those in direct contact with Covid-19 patients;
  3. those in contact with patients suspected of or known to have Covid-19;
  4. health professionals not in contact with Covid-19 patients.

The second phase has five categories:

  1. frontline workers including teachers, military and police;
  2. people in groups such as prisons, shelters and so on;
  3. people over 60 years;
  4. people over 18 years with comorbidities;
  5. those over the age of 18.

According to a new study from the University of Johannesburg’s Centre for Social Change, two out of three adults would be willing to take the Covid-19 vaccine if it became available.

The university, in partnership with the Human Sciences Research Council’s (HSRC) Developmental, Capable and Ethical State (DCES) research division, made the findings on Monday after undertaking an online study among more than 10,000 participants between December 29 and January 6.

Key findings from the study showed that:

  • 67% of adults would definitely or probably take a vaccine if it was available;
  • 18% of adults would definitely or probably not take a vaccine; and
  • 15% of adults did not know.

Age, race and education also played a role in the level of knowledge about the vaccine.

The study fund 69% of black adults would definitely or probably take the vaccine, compared to 55% of white adults.

Acceptance among adults with less than matric-level education was 72%, compared with 59% for those with tertiary education.

Acceptance was 63% among adults aged 18-24, and 74% for those aged 55 and older.


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