IN QUOTES | Zweli Mkhize gives Western Cape's vaccine rollout preparations the thumbs-up
Health minister Zweli Mkhize has given the Western Cape's vaccine rollout preparations the thumbs-up.
On Monday, Mkhize visited the province as part of his assessment of provinces’ preparedness for the mass rollout of the second phase of the vaccine, which is set to start on May 17.
He reassured the province the department of health has secured enough vaccines for all provinces and the Western Cape will get as many vaccines as they need to achieve population immunity.
Mkhize said there was no need for any provincial government to procure its own vaccines.
Here are five key takeouts from his briefing during the visit:
Western Cape's vaccine preparations on track
“Having being presented with the mass vaccination rollout plan for the Western Cape, I was pleased to note that the province has given full consideration to the interventions that need to be implemented such that the province can vaccinate the nearly five million citizens targeted for that region.”
Enough vaccine for public and private hospitals
“I am also pleased the province’s plan aligns with the national department of health strategy. I reassured premier Alan Winde and health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo that the national department secured enough vaccines for all the provinces, both for private and public hospitals.”
More than 61 million doses expected
“The province can, therefore, focus its energies on the distribution and logistics of inoculation. We expect to get more than 31 million Johnson & Johnson vaccines and more than 30 million Pfizer vaccines."
Planned for 46.2 million people to be vaccinated
“Provided we receive the vaccines as committed to by the manufacturers, we will be able to vaccinate 46.2 million South Africans by the end of the fourth quarter, March 2022. This tally excludes the 500,000 that will be vaccinated under the Sisonke Protocol.”
So far 343,420 senior citizens registered on EVDS
“We send a word of appreciation to the 343,420 senior citizens who already registered on the electronic vaccination data system (EVDS). We call on all South Africans to assist their friends, family and neighbours who are 60 and older to register.”
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