The National Health Council, led by the Minister of Health Dr. Zweli Mkhize, will launch Phase 2 of the mass COVID-19 vaccination campaign.
Phase two will run concurrently with phase 1B for health workers who haven’t been inoculated under the Sisonke Study.
The launch is scheduled for 8pm on Sunday.
SABC Digital news will stream the event live in the video below:
While people with comorbidities will also be catered for in the rollout, the first stage of the campaign will prioritise South Africans who are over 60 years.
Calls are mounting for the senior citizens to come out in their numbers to register.
Political party leaders in the Western Cape Provincial Parliament are the latest group to make the plea.
They say they have noted that the COVID-19 vaccines that will be used during this phase have all been approved by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) for use and have been rigorously tested for safety, both locally and internationally.
The leaders say these trials have shown that COVID-19 vaccines offer excellent protection against the disease and are an extremely important defence in the battle against the virus, while acknowledging the concerns of some citizens over the vaccines.
They urge people who are still unsure to seek out the facts on the vaccine from reliable sources.
Infographic of how to register online for the shot:
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Gauteng health authorities say they will continue to vaccinate healthcare workers on Monday and staff members will be visiting old age homes.
The provincial health department has urged pensioners not to go to vaccination sites.
South African Medical Association Chairperson, Dr Angelique Coetzee, says there’s some uncertainty about how the second phase will unfold on Monday.
“I think what is going to happen is that the rollout will commence especially the old age homes, all congregated settings, prisons. This will start with the 60-year-olds plus. So, I think that’s actually more what is going to happen and is the average person at the age of 60 going to walk in,” she says.
Solidarity Fund asks South Africans to support new COVID-19 vaccine campaign:
