Most South Africans will have to wait until November to get COVID-19 vaccine

 

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA – FEBRUARY 18: Staff line up for screening and registration during the official launch of the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out programme at Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital on February 18, 2021 in Durban South Africa. According to a media release, the Premier and MEC also presided over the province’s first round of vaccinations, which will see several frontline workers being vaccinated. (Photo by Darren Stewart/Gallo Images via Getty Images)

South Africa has announced that phase 2 of the country’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout will start in May 2021.

Briefing media on the announcement on Thursday (25 March), acting minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said that the second phase is scheduled to last for six months and will run until October 2021.

“This phase will cover over 13,350,140 people in the vulnerable groups, essential workers, and occupational health and safety streams,” she said.

“(This will include) workers in sectors that are critical for economic recovery such as mines, hospitality, taxi industry, retail and spaza shops, fruit and vegetable vendors, media and other applicable beneficiaries.”

Ntshavheni said that phase 3 will be implemented over three months between November 2021 – February 2022.

This phase aims to cover the remainder of all people in South Africa, including those who were not vaccinated in Phase 2. It will target 22,600,640 people, Ntshavheni said.

She added that the vaccination sites for phases 2 and 3 will expand to 2,085 and will also include private sector sites to improve the efficiency and speed of the vaccination roll-out program.

“Cabinet would like to reassure South Africans of the capacity of the Department of Health, in partnership with the private sector, to undertake a mass vaccine roll-out when Phase 2 gets underway,” Ntshavheni said.