Which jabs do i need

In his address to the nation on Monday, 14 December , President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that South Africa is set to receive initial vaccines from the COVAX facility to cover 10 per cent of our population in the early part of Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize, is part of this task team and is also looking at innovative partnerships with the private sector to ensure that South Africans have access to an effective vaccine that is suitable to local conditions.

It also recommended continuing with the current ongoing bilateral discussions with vaccine manufacturers. Vaccination, even with the limited initial allocation, could be used to immunise front-line healthcare workers who are of critical importance to both manage COVID patients and to sustain all aspects of health service delivery. Partial coverage of the population with a vaccine combined with non-pharmaceutical interventions, would significantly contribute to achieving a herd immunity threshold, thus protecting the population against forthcoming future waves of COVID.

South Africa was approached directly by vaccine manufacturers to consider bilateral purchasing agreements. However, the risk with these arrangements was that price negotiations were confidential; up-front payments could have been lost should the vaccine not have proved safe and efficacious; and South Africa would have been limited to only a few vaccines through this mechanism and could have run the risk of not having a vaccine if these candidates were not successfully licensed.

According to production estimates, we should expect to receive the first batch of stock in quarter two of SAHPRA has committed to ensuring the expeditious evaluation of these vaccines once they have been received, through various mechanisms that will shorten the timeframe it usually takes to approve a product. This strategy will include a review of available resources, services delivery platforms, and the required investment to ensure a successful administration to the selected priority groups.

Collaboration between the private and public health sectors will be key to the successful implementation of this life-saving intervention. A phased approach is recommended when limited supplies of vaccines become available. These are the various groupings of those who will receive vaccine tranches:. Note that the safety and efficacy of vaccines in children and pregnant women are not known and will probably be the subject of future trials and thus the framework will be revised if necessary.

The first vaccines that South Africa will receive can vaccinate 10 per cent roughly six million people of the population. These include frontline healthcare workers at high risk of infection, older adults, and those people at high risk of death because of underlying conditions like heart disease and diabetes. In the second phase of the roll-out, as more doses are produced, vaccines should go to groups less at risk of being infected of suffering badly. Our rollout strategy includes testing each vaccine.

We thank the efforts of our scientists in working with government to ensure the safety of all vaccines. The AstraZeneca vaccine is safe and effective, and is being used all over the world. For South Africa, however it was shown that it is less effective against the Y. V2 variant for people who are mildly ill. The Y. V2 variant is currently the dominant variant in the country. However, the AstraZeneca vaccine is still effective in protecting people against severe Covid symptoms, hospitalisation and death caused by the Y.

V2 Variant. Early results from Moderna also suggest its vaccine is effective against this variant. The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is being tested to confirm that it protects against the new variants and early results from the trials are positive. Developers of this vaccine have said that they are likely to introduce a modified version against the variant known as V2 or B. Scientists will now discuss amongst themselves and they will advise us how the vaccine will be used. It is important to note that the virus has mutated numerous times, and will continue to do so, as many other viruses do.

Vaccine developers have the ability to redesign and tweak existing vaccines to better combat new variants in a matter of weeks or months if necessary, as they learn more about how the virus mutates. The vaccine, developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University showed promise, and in clinical trials conducted in South Africa, people who received the vaccine were 75 per cent less likely to develop mild to moderate cases of COVID than were people who received a placebo.

V2 variant and other variants were discovered. Before the efficacy results, South Africa could not delay receipt of the vaccine batches to await the results of the efficacy studies by our scientists, as this would have relegated the country to the back of the line for vaccines due to global shortage of supplies.

It is important to note that the vaccines we acquired have not yet expired. In addition, the Department of Health, in the original vaccination plan, had planned the first phase of the AstraZeneca vaccine roll-out, to have been completed before the expiry date. The April expiry date was confirmed through the implementation of our quality assurance and control protocols. Although it has been found that the AstraZeneca vaccine does not work against mild and moderate illness, it could still offer protection against serious illness, hospitalisation or death.

We will therefore be exploring all possible avenues before deciding on the appropriate course of action. All countries pre-ordered vaccines as there is a global shortage of doses. Therefore, when doses were available for South Africa, we needed to proceed. Vaccines are made to save lives - not to oppress, bewitch, possess or indoctrinate people. V2 variant. Of these doses, 2.

Pfizer has committed 20 million vaccine doses commencing with deliveries at the end of the first quarter. Government continues to work with various pharmaceuticals companies to ensure we immunise 67 per cent of the population. Our rollout of the vaccine will take a three-phase approach that begins with the most vulnerable in our population. Phase 2 will vaccinate essential workers, persons in congre gate settings, persons over 60 years and persons over 18 years with co-morbidities.

Government will source, distribute and oversee the rollout of the vaccine. Government as the sole purchaser of vaccines will distribute it to provincial governments and the private sector. The vaccination system will be based on a pre-vaccination registration and appointment system. All those vaccinated will be placed on a national register and provided with a vaccination card. A national rollout committee will oversee the vaccine implementation in both the public and private sectors.

Skip to main content. Herd immunity When a lot of people in a community are vaccinated, the pathogen has a hard time circulating because most of the people it encounters are immune. Uber is covering 2 free trips up to R each to and from select vaccination centres across the country. Tap on the redemption link sent to you to claim the voucher. You also can view voucher details in your Uber app by selecting the Menu bar, tap Wallet, scroll down and tap Vouchers.

The location of vaccination sites is updated all the time. When registering, you will be prompted to indicate the area where you stay and when it is time to vaccinate you will be directed to the nearest vaccination site. We apologise for the inconvenience. The system will automatically allocate a site to you that is close to the home or work address that you entered. In urban areas, it will allocate a site within 10km of that address and in rural areas it will allocate a centre within 30km of where you live or work.

The time that you choose to be vaccinated when you registered such as the morning or afternoon during weekdays or weekends affects the availability and scheduling of your appointment. However, If you have access to the Internet, and are registered, you can choose when and where to get vaccinated or change your vaccination appointment.

You can attend any vaccination site. If you have access to the Internet, and are registered, you can even choose when and where to get vaccinated or change your vaccination appointment.

You will just need to show proof of vaccination and that you had your vaccination during work hours. You can prove this using your vaccination certificate. Do I need to take time off work after being vaccinated?

Most people will feel fine post-vaccination and have minimal side effects, so they will not require any time off work.

However, if you have side effects and feel too unwell to go to work, you will be granted sick leave according to your standard policy.

Common side effects which can occur after receiving the COVID vaccine include pain, swelling or redness, where the vaccine was injected. Mild fever, chills, feeling tired, having a headache and muscle and joint pains.

These effects should only last between two and three days. However, if you develop any more serious side effects like swelling of the face and throat, a rash, fast heart rate, or difficulty breathing, you must urgently seek medical attention. These side effects are very rare. There is no official recommendation on this, but most experts agree that this is not something to worry about, provided you only drink the safe daily amount in the days after vaccination two drinks per day for men and one drink for women.

However, it is important to remember that alcohol consumed in excess can negatively affect your immune system. It is also worth noting that if you have side effects from the vaccine, like muscle aches and headaches, alcohol is likely to make these worse. A trio of experts weigh in on this topic, please click here to read the article. However, if you feel any side effects it is probably best to wait until these have resolved before you start your regime again.

If you have a medical aid, it will fully cover the vaccination. If you do not have medical aid, the cost of the vaccine will be covered by the government.

You will be requested to wait in a designated area for approximately 15 minutes to make sure you do not have any adverse effects from the vaccine. At the moment we are only vaccinating specific categories of the workforce and over 35s.

If you do not fall into any of these categories then you can ignore the SMS and wait for your turn age group to become available. If you are a Healthcare Worker you will need to have proof of employment before a vaccine can be administered to you.

If you believe you are eligible for the vaccine but were turned away, please contact the COVID helpline on to report the issue and ask for assistance. You may have some side-effects, which are normal signs that your body is building protection. Common side-effects are pain, redness and swelling on the arm where you got the shot as well as tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, fever and nausea.

These side-effects should go away in a few days. If you think you may be having a severe allergic reaction after leaving the vaccine site, seek medical care immediately. Contact your healthcare provider:. If you are unwell and concerned you must immediately visit your nearest healthcare facility or contact your healthcare practitioner. Side-effects from the vaccine usually develop eight to 24 hours after the injection. Common side-effects include fever, light-headedness, chills, muscle aches and pains, headaches or nausea.

This is a passive surveillance system where anyone can report side-effects. This is worth investigating, however, the changes to menstrual cycle all appear to be temporary, with the cycle returning to normal shortly afterwards.

Most significantly, there is no evidence of any effect on fertility. Right now, experts do not know how long the vaccine will protect you, so it is a good idea to continue following the prevention measures.

We also know not everyone will be able to get vaccinated right away, so it is still important to protect yourself and others.

After you have been vaccinated, you will receive an SMS to inform you if you need a second shot and the date and place where you should get it. If you have access to the Internet, and the second appointment you receive does not suit you, you can choose when and where to get the second vaccine or change your vaccination appointment.

The SMS will include the appointment details that you need for the second dose. You will not be able to receive your second dose sooner than 42 days after your first dose. It is important that you do not wait more than 84 days after your first dose for your second dose. This is as per guidance from the World Health Organization. There is no need for you to re-register, the EVDS system will automatically schedule you for your 2nd dose 42 days after your first dose and you will receive an SMS with an appointment.

If you have access to the Internet, you can choose when and where to get the second vaccine or change your vaccination appointment. You can receive your second dose at any vaccination site. After 42 days you will receive your SMS telling you where and when to go for your appointment. This is to allow us to ensure that there is a vaccine waiting there for you. Your 2nd dose appointment may not be where your first appointment was as the programme is constantly growing and there are many new sites.

If you have not received your SMS after 42 days, bring your vaccination card and visit a nearby site to receive your second dose. Not necessarily. You will instead receive an SMS sending you to the site that has the shortest queue within your registered area. However, if you have access to the Internet, and the second appointment you receive does not suit you, you can choose when and where to get the second vaccine or change your vaccination appointment. We also know that not everyone will be able to get vaccinated right away, so it is still important to protect yourself and others.

Therefore, it is important for you to go and receive your 2nd dose to complete the treatment process and ensure that you are fully vaccinated against severe COVID infection. It is recommended that you get your second dose within 84 days of your first dose. The types of side effects are the same and should still only last a day or two. They include pain or discomfort in the arm where you had the injection, headaches and feeling tired or feverish.

Not everyone gets side effects from the Pfizer vaccine. Research shows that for those who do experience side effects from the second dose, these side effects are usually gone within one or two days.

Serious side effects are very rare. If you have a positive COVID test, you should wait 30 days after the positive test before having your second dose. You can rebook by calling Even if you have already had coronavirus, having two doses of the vaccine will ensure that you have long-lasting protection against the virus, and will help to protect you against variants of the virus such as the Delta variant. It is therefore important that you still get your second dose.

Clinical trials are currently examining the effectiveness and safety of mixing and matching different coronavirus vaccines. Government advice for now is to get the same vaccine for your first and second dose. Everyone should get a second dose. The only exception is for people who had a serious reaction to the first dose of the vaccine.

In all other cases you should have the second dose. You may just need to delay your second dose if you are unwell, have a fever or are experiencing any symptoms of COVID In these cases, you will need to wait until you feel better, or if positive for COVID, you must wait 28 days after your 14 day isolation period before getting your second vaccine.

Additional features such as a scannable QR code and digital cryptographic signatures will be gradually phased in. Yes, provided that it is the same number from the ID Document you used when you registered on the EVDS Portal and what was used at the vaccination site. The agent will be able to provide you with the vaccination code or resend you the SMS with the required code.

The Department of Health will advise when the readable QR code is activated. You will be required to update your certificate once it becomes available. However, it depends on the policy of the country you are visiting and verification requirements.

You should present this certificate along with your passport. It is your responsibility or the person registering you on your behalf to ensure that your information is captured correctly when registering for vaccination. This information should be verified and can further be corrected at the vaccination site before the vaccine is administered. The QR Code on the next version of the certificate can be scanned by travel authorities and third parties to verify the validity and authenticity of the COVID Vaccination Certificate.

You can send an email with the details to be changed to evdsqueries health. One of the agents will contact you. If you received one of your vaccinations in another country, you will have to provide the certificates from both countries as proof of your full vaccination status.

Network Issues occur when the server is temporarily unreachable due to system updates, traffic or your network is down and not connecting. Please change your network or device and then try again later. Sixty plus and not yet vaccinated? We have good news for you! Go get vaccinated during the month of November and you will automatically receive a Vooma Vaccination Voucher valued at one hundred rand.

Click here to find out more. The gift of greatest value is the free vaccination, because that will protect you from the serious impact that Covid can have on your health and on the well-being of your family. Vooma Vouchers are only available to people aged 60 or older, because they are at highest risk of getting very sick or dying from Covid Younger people can get very sick too. The gift of greatest value is the free vaccination, because that protects you from the serious impact that Covid can have on your health and on the well-being of your family.

We have introduced the R Vooma Voucher to assist people who have not yet come forward because they might have challenges in paying the taxi fare or other costs. If we can get all people over 60 years to come forward, we will all benefit and the economy will begin to open up again. That is why we now have to focus on those people who have not yet come forward for vaccination. Thank you for having been vaccinated! We know that you may have had to pay out of your own pocket for taxi fare or other costs.

But you must remember that the gift of greatest value is the free vaccination, and since your vaccination, you have already been protected from the serious impact that Covid can have had on your health and on the well-being of your family. Older people who have not been vaccinated will be at serious risk when the 4th wave hits, and giving them R to make it easier for them to get vaccinated is a small price to pay to help us protect them and their families.

If you already have a free Shoprite Money Market account, your voucher will automatically be put in your account for you to spend. This will ensure that if you miss or lose your voucher SMS, your voucher can be re-issued your voucher.

In this way, we can guarantee that you will get your voucher to the value of R — even if you miss the SMS or delete it by accident.

Click here to download the Apple mobile app Click here to download the Android mobile app. Once you are registered for the Money Market Account, you can gift the voucher to a family member or friend who lives closer to a Shoprite, Checkers or Usave store. But remember, the voucher can only be redeemed once. This offer will last until the end of November or until vouchers run out, whichever comes first.

Contact Shoprite helpline on They will assist. Remember, the voucher can only be used once, and only at Shoprite, Checkers or Usave. It was made according to the highest standards and was tested thoroughly. These vaccines have not been used and will not be used on anyone in South Africa. Yes, if you did not get vaccinated yet, you will need to register on the EVDS system and follow the general population vaccination process.

Vaccination opens for everyone years old on Wednesday the 20th of October Should my teen vaccinate? Read more from Dr Fanaroff here.

From the 20th of October, all those aged between 12 and 17 years of age will be able to register for vaccination and attend vaccination sites to receive their vaccine. To register you can use either a birth certificate, or ID if you are a South African citizen, or a passport if you are a foreign national.

Those between the ages of will receive one dose of the Pfizer vaccine at this time. The decision to give the second dose will be made at a later stage once more evidence of benefit and harm become available. Getting your child vaccinated helps to protect your child and your family.

You are able to get vaccinated at all public and private vaccination sites that have the Pfizer vaccine in stock. Therefore, we are unable to provide second doses of these vaccines.

South Africa cannot give a vaccination certification for doses not administered here. Instead, we can offer one dose of the Pfizer vaccine at least 6 weeks after the last vaccination dose to complete the two dose regimen, as there is evidence that the Pfizer vaccine combines well with these other types, particularly Moderna and AstraZeneca. If you have received one dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, you are regarded as fully vaccinated.

It is recommended that immunecompromised individuals should receive an additional Pfizer or Johnson and Johnson vaccine dose at least 28 days after receiving the last dose. Immunocompromised individuals include those on long term oral steroid therapy for autoimmune conditions; those with haematological or immune malignancies; those with solid organ or bone marrow transplants; those on renal dialysis; and those with primary immunological disorders.

However, this is to be decided and administered only after a referral from the medical doctor who supervises their care. Click here to view the Sisonke infographic kit. Only healthcare workers vaccinated as part of the Sisonke study will be eligible to receive the booster dose.

No, you cannot get a booster shot if you have already accessed a booster vaccination through other means. The study will target healthcare workers because they were the first to be vaccinated, and are at greater risk of infection owing to their work in caring for others who may be infected. The purpose of the study is to establish whether a booster dose, given 6 — 8 months after the primary schedule, provides significantly improved protection against COVID infection.

Do not re—register on EVDS. Sisonke participants will be sent an SMS indicating that they are eligible to receive the booster dose, and be provided with a link to the list of sites which will offer the vaccination.

They will be required to provide informed consent to participate in this next phase of the study. Do not re-register on EVDS. Call , or email info vaccinesupport.

The booster doses will be administered at selected public and private vaccination sites. Sisonke participants will receive a list of available sites offering the booster vaccination. You can find further information on the links below: Sisonke2 Booster communication — 3 Nov It will help you to know what is really true and what is fake news.

The programme entails procurement, distribution, vaccination, monitoring, communication and mobilisation.

This COVID vaccination messaging guidelines aim to assist communicators in the formulation of messages on the vaccine rollout and help address key questions stakeholders may be asking. The guidelines provide supporting content and resource links on the key areas for communication. The content contained in this version of the guide is relevant as of 8 March The rollout will take place in three phases to provide vaccinations to a minimum of 67 per cent of the population in order to achieve herd immunity.

It means that the majority of the population would be immune to the virus, indirectly protecting those who are not and making the spread easier to manage and contain. The vaccination programme is a key intervention to mitigate the public health and economic impact of the COVID pandemic.

It also demonstrates how far the country has come in in the fight against the pandemic. On 5 March South Africa marked one year since the first case of coronavirus was reported in the country. Since then, we have learned a lot about the pandemic and made strong inroads into turning the tide against the virus. Through instilling behaviour change by profiling everyday preventative measures and adopting a scientific approach to fight the virus, we helped stem the spread of COVID Today we know much more about the pandemic and this has allowed us to respond more effectively to it.

The IMC will assist in advancing our vaccine rollout and strategy with quick decision-making to ensure a smooth implementation of the vaccination programme.

It meets weekly to receive reports and intervene in unlocking any challenges that may be encountered. In general, vaccines contain weakened or inactive parts of a particular organism that triggers an immune response within the body. This weakened version will not cause the disease in the person receiving the vaccine, but it will prompt their immune system to respond. Some vaccines require multiple doses, given weeks or months apart.

This is sometimes needed to allow for the production of long-lived antibodies and development of memory cells. Vaccine Explanations and Answers.

This is an unprecedented situation, which remains fluid with many factors in play. The aim of vaccination is to prevent morbidity and mortality. It is also to achieve herd immunity and prevent ongoing transmission. When a person is vaccinated against a disease, their risk of infection is also reduced.

Vaccinations help lower the possibility for a pathogen to circulate in the community and protect those who cannot be vaccinated due to health conditions such as allergies or their age. Vaccine: Frequently Asked Questions. When a lot of people in a community are vaccinated, the pathogen has a hard time circulating because most of the people it encounters are immune.

This is called herd immunity. But no single vaccine provides per cent protection, and herd immunity does not provide full protection to those who cannot safely be vaccinated. But with herd immunity, these people will have substantial protection, thanks to those around them being vaccinated. Vaccinating not only protects yourself, but also protects those in the community who are unable to be vaccinated. Reaching Herd-Immunity.

The COVID vaccine presents the body with instructions to build immunity and does not alter human cells. Vaccines have reduced the morbidity and mortality of infectious diseases such as smallpox, poliomyelitis, hepatitis B, measles, tetanus, whooping cough and pneumococcal conjugate across the world. Vaccinating enough people would help create herd immunity and stamp out the disease.

The Impact of Vaccines. No single vaccine will be effective against all the variants. This was demonstrated in the case with the AstraZeneca vaccine, which was less effective against the Y. V2 variant. Vaccine Efficacy Y-V2-Variant. COVID vaccines go through a rigorous, multi-stage testing process, including large trials that involve tens of thousands of people.

An external panel of experts convened by the WHO analyses the results from clinical trials, along with evidence on the disease, age groups affected, risk factors for disease, and other information. The panel recommends whether and how the vaccines should be used. Vaccines undergo rigorous trials to ensure they are safe and effective. All vaccines go through a comprehensive approval process by medical regulators to ensure that they are safe.

Pharmaceutical companies hand over all laboratory studies and safety trials to validate that the vaccine does work. Any safety concerns are picked up by regulators when reviewing the data. Vaccines are made to save lives — not to oppress, bewitch, possess or indoctrinate people. Vaccine Safety Details. Of these doses, 2. Pfizer has committed 20 million vaccine doses commencing with deliveries at the end of the first quarter. Government continues to work with various pharmaceuticals companies to ensure we immunise 67 per cent of the population.

Government will source, distribute and oversee the rollout of the vaccine. Government as the sole purchaser of vaccines will distribute it to provincial governments and the private sector. The vaccination system will be based on a pre-vaccination registration and appointment system. All those vaccinated will be placed on a national register and provided with a vaccination card. A national rollout committee will oversee the vaccine implementation in both the public and private sectors.

Vaccine Procurement. V2 mutation. The scientists also discovered that exposure to the COVID virus during the first wave does not provide sufficient protection against the Y. Through constant surveillance, our scientists remain at the forefront of tracking the virus and using science to understand how to fight it. V2 in the 2 nd wave now have antibodies against reinfection with Y.

V2 or pre-existing variants in the country. The Y. V2 variant is able to generate immune responses that neutralise it and therefore a vaccine based on this variant is likely to generate neutralising antibodies. While the discovery is a positive development in our fight against COVID, we cannot afford to become complacent.

The finding does not mean we are immune to the virus or can disregard safety protocols that have thus far helped protect many South Africans from infection. Furthermore, it does not mean that those who were infected in the 2 nd wave will be protected from future variants of the virus.

The virus continues to spread through contact and indiscriminately kills. We still have a long way to go to defeat the virus and South Africans have an important role to play by participating in our vaccination drive and adhering to health protocols.

Vaccinating not only protects oneself but through herd immunity, also protects those who are unable to be vaccinated such as new born babies. These findings now form the basis for further research into the vaccine and its efficacy. It will also assist the world in streamlining its focus on a vaccine that would eradicate the virus. Vaccines already developed and those in the pipeline can now be tweaked to adequately respond to the virus.

The bulk of the money — R6. The Medical Research Council received a R million injection for vaccine research and GCIS will preside over a R50 million allocation to run mass communication campaigns around the vaccine rollout.

Government is committed to ensure that best options and approaches are utilised to protect the population from infections. South Africa has well established protocols of ensuring safe use of all new health products. South African scientists commenced studies on the efficacy of various vaccines during They focused on the impact of vaccines against the Y.

V2 variant in the latter part of the year. The results of these studies became available only on 5 February , which established that the AstraZeneca vaccine does not prevent mild to moderate disease of the Y.

V2 variant and other variants. Before the efficacy results, South Africa could not delay receipt of the vaccine batches to await the results of the efficacy studies as this would have relegated the country to the back of the line for vaccines due to global shortage of supplies.

At the time, South Africa could not delay receipt of the AstraZeneca vaccine batches as it would have relegated the country to the back of the line for vaccines due to global shortage of supplies. It sets out to monitor, track and assess the occurrence of hospitalisations, the incidence of severe SARS CoV-2 infections, the diversity of breakthrough infections and evaluates vaccine uptake among healthcare workers.

The programme is a partnership of the South African Medical Research Council and the National Department of Health that will vaccinate healthcare workers. Through the programme government is able to make this safe and effective vaccine immediately available. The Sisonke programme is not a clinical trial but rather a way that the research study can help to make the vaccine available while the licensing process takes place.

Government chose to move ahead with this programme because it would be unethical to withhold a vaccine known to be safe and effective. The programme is overseen by an experienced team of healthcare professionals who receive, store and dispense the vaccine. They work closely with national and provincial health public and private vaccine centres to ensure that the vaccination of healthcare workers is done safely and carefully managed.

The vaccine will be administered free of charge at various points of service across all parts of the country. This is the largest vaccination campaign undertaken in our history — it stretches across 52 districts and wards to reach 40 million of our people.

The programme entails procurement, distribution, actual vaccination, monitoring, communication and mobilisation. It is anticipated that by the end of the final phase, 40 citizens would have been immunised. While government will lead the vaccine rollout initiative, it requires a multi sectoral collaboration to ensure that the vaccine drive is effective.

The rollout will proceed in the form of an implementation study with the partnership of the Medical Research Council and the National Department of Health vaccination sites across the country. This will provide valuable information about the pandemic in the post-vaccination community and thus ensure early identification of breakthrough infections should they occur amongst vaccinated health workers.

Vaccine Rollout Infographics. Our rollout of the vaccine will take a three-phase approach that begins with the most vulnerable in our population. Our target is to vaccinate 67 per cent of the population, which will allow us to achieve herd immunity. The vaccination system will be based on a pre-vaccination registration and appointment system at a specific vaccination site. The system will help government plan ahead on the amount of doses needed at any particular point in time.

All South Africans who are vaccinated will be placed on a national register and provided with a vaccination card. After targeted groups receive the vaccine, mass vaccinations will take place in urban centres at pharmacies, health facilities, community halls and schools.

These sites will have to be registered and must comply with a number of requirements to secure and safeguard the vaccination process. EVDS is an online self-enrolment portal where South Africans can register via a digital device for an appointment. Those who qualify will be sent a notification through SMS informing them of the time and place that the vaccine will be available.

They will have to provide their ID, a contact number and unique code that is sent to them when at the vaccination site. Those residents who do not have access to the internet can approach healthcare facilities to assist them with assisted registration on the EVDS.

Vaccine safety communication is an essential component of immunisation services and programmes. Even before a vaccine safety issue occurs, communication must be ready to engage effectively. The link below sets out the guidelines by the World Health Organisation to enable effective planning and implementation of proactive communication. It promotes an understanding of the importance of vaccines in preventing illness and preventable deaths, and raises awareness of vaccine risks and perceptions of risk COVID Vaccine Toolkit.

Communication and messaging should manage and mitigate any potential disappointment expressed by unmet demand for the vaccine or eagerness amongst people. Not all South African will be vaccinated at one time, the rollout of the vaccine will take a three-phased approach that begins with the most vulnerable in our population.

Communication should address vaccine hesitancy that could arise because of apprehensions around vaccine safety, efficacy and misconceptions.

It is common for new vaccines to be met with initial hesitancy, which later resolves as the vaccine programme becomes established. The following links provide a resource for addressing and understanding vaccine hesitancy. As with all medicines, there could at times be minor side effects. Risk communication should acknowledge that the COVID vaccines have temporary side effects such as fever and muscle pain. Communication should reassure the public that there is no need for concern, these side effects pass within 24 to 48 hours.

Serious side effects such as allergic reactions are exceedingly rare. It is also crucial to prepare the media on possible side effects, especially with regard to when elderly people get vaccinated. When dealing with older persons, some tragic events could happen even when the vaccine has nothing to do with it. It is important not to jump to the conclusion that there is a connection between the vaccination and those events.

The only way to determine if vaccines have serious side effects is by scientific means. It would require looking at the data from many vaccinated people, and by comparing them to what would be expected in that age group. South African civil society, community-based organisations and community leaders have a rich history of supporting communities. These organisations can play a crucial role in communicating the positive norms towards vaccination.

Community leaders should engage with empathy, transparency, and honesty to develop and maintain public trust and communicate effectively. A diversity of community groups should be included in engagement activities.

Through the work of the IMC on Vaccination, established by President Cyril Ramaphosa and Chaired by Deputy President David Mabuza, strong partnerships with civil society, business, the faith community and many other sectors have been forged all of whom are coming to the fore to advance the effort to build confidence amongst communities to vaccinate, and help in dispelling myths, rumours and conspiracy theories.

Getting the public involved in spreading the message is helpful. In this regard, social media can be a valuable asset. Social influencers or endorsements from experts and official voices should be used to spell out the process of immunisation where, how, who, when date, and time ; and emphasise the safety and efficacy of vaccines and explain the decision to conduct the drive in a phased manner.

Anti-vaccination misinformation focuses on the need for vaccines, how they work, safety, their components, their moral or religious acceptability, and their development and testing. The following facts can be used to address anti-vaccination misinformation. Vaccine development is a rigorous process with layers of safety and efficacy reviews before approval for widespread use can be gained. Once vaccines are licensed for use, they are subject to ongoing safety surveillance. Regulators and researchers use passive or active systems to determine whether there is a spike in adverse events following a particular vaccine.

This is particularly the case with a new vaccine programme. Testing of Vaccines. One of the most prevalent misinformation theories around vaccines stems from a widely discredited, and since retracted, study published in the Lancet in Since then further studies have demonstrated there is no causal link between any vaccine and autism.

One of the rare side effects of vaccines is that they can cause mild symptoms resembling those of the disease they are providing protection against. How Vaccines Prevent Diseases. Some people worry that ingredients contained in a vaccine, such as mercury, aluminium, and formaldehyde, are harmful due to their perceived toxicity.