The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has told Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize, that government’s target to vaccinate 67% of the population against COVID-19 remains a pipe dream.
EFF Member of Parliament, Suzan Thembekwayo, says Mkhize’s department has already failed to reach its target to vaccinate all health care workers in government’s first phase of the roll-out programme.
Thembekwayo was participating in the Health Budget Vote Debate during a hybrid sitting of the National Assembly.
“You committed to vaccinate all health workers during the first phase of vaccination rollout and your own estimations put the numbers of health workers at 1.2 million. To date, just less than 400 000 health workers have been vaccinated. The target of vaccinating 67% of the population in order to achieve herd (population) immunity is just a distant dream and will possibly never be attained at the rate at which we are going.”
Healthcare workers
Vaccination sites in Johannesburg have seen snaking queues of healthcare workers trying to get vaccinated before the end of phase one of government’s vaccination programme.
Phase two, targeting the elderly and vulnerable groups, is expected to begin next week.
Video: SABC News’ Prabashini Moodley reports from Milpark Hospital:
VIDEO: COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout Strategy for South Africa:
