Vaccination sites activated in Gauteng

Click to enlargeThe Gauteng Provincial Government’s vaccination programme recently received a short-in-the-arm with the launch of more vaccination sites. The government said that this will enable it to vaccinate more people that are 60 years and above and healthcare workers as part of Phase 1b and Phase 2.

A total of 25 new sites have been added to the current list taking the Gauteng vaccination list to 129 (89 public and 40 private sites). The new sites are in public service and spread across the province: Joburg (10), Tshwane (5), Ekurhuleni (4), West Rand (3) and Sedibeng (3).

The government said that since the launch of Phase 2 and Phase 1b of the vaccination programme on 17 May 2021, the province has vaccinated 246 791 people. Of these 184 191 are people 60 years and above, and 62 600 are healthcare workers.

“To date, a total of 499 533 people are registered on Electronic Vaccine Data System (EVDS).
Since the start of the vaccination programme, we have seen a steady increase in the uptake of the vaccine. More and more vaccination sites are now live meaning that more people can get vaccinated closer to where they stay or work.

We continue to encourage people to register on the EVDS which a platform is put in place to facilitate the scheduling of the vaccination programme.

Furthermore, the Gauteng government has taken steps to ensure that all vaccination sites make adequate plans for walk-ins, no person will be turned away from vaccination sites.”

Healthcare Workers are assisting the elderly in their homes and other settings to register on the EVDS in preparation for vaccination. For assistance with registration, contact the Gauteng Hotline on 0800 GAUTENG (4288364) or 0800 22 88 27.

Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 remains one of the best ways to protect ourselves and our loved ones. By vaccinating and adhering to the non-pharmaceutical interventions we can reduce the spread of COVID-19 and keep the economy open. It should be noted that people can still contract the Coronavirus even if they have been vaccinated for COVID-19. The vaccine boosts the immune system to prevent severe illness, hospitalisation, and death in the event one contracts the disease.

By Lerato Serero of the Sedibeng Ster