'We are taking a giant step, like a baby' - David Makhura hails Gauteng rollout of Covid vaccines

Dr Steve Mankupane, acting CEO of Soweto's Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, will be among the first health workers in Gauteng to be vaccinated against the coronavirus on Wednesday.

Gauteng health MEC Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi will also receive the jab, alongside about 28 other health workers at Bara.

The inoculation programme kicked off in SA on Wednesday afternoon, after the arrival of the first batch of 80,000 single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccines on Tuesday evening.

Gauteng premier David Makhura toured the vaccination centre at Baragwanath ahead of a scheduled visit later in the day to Tshwane's Steve Biko Academic Hospital, which has also been designated as a venue for the vaccine rollout.

Makhura said he would not be getting his jab today, adding that he is only there to observe how the rollout goes.

“I'm also waiting patiently in the queue with the other 10.4 million people in Gauteng. Health workers are a priority,” he said.

Makhura said this was a new dawn.

“Today is a much brighter day and it's a start to make us realise our goal - for 67% of people in Gauteng that need to be vaccinated,” he said.

“We are taking a giant step, like a baby,” Makhura said.

This is a developing story

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