Over-50s next in line for Covid-19 vaccines, says deputy health minister

Deputy health minister Joe Phaahla said on Wednesday SA is gearing up to vaccinate people in the 50 to 59 age group.

“We are quite advanced with those over the age of 60,” he said, “though we still urge people who have grannies and uncles who are over the age of 60 who are not yet registered to please assist them to get registered.”

“We want to move to the next cohort which will be over 50 and then over 40,” he said.

Phaahla was speaking at the Rabasotho community centre in Thembisa where scores of teachers and school support staff were queuing to receive their vaccines. This group was receiving the single dose Johnson & Johnson (J&J) vaccine.

He said there were 300,000 J&J vaccines available. Another 700,000 vaccines were scheduled to arrive in the next few days, which would be followed by a consignment of 500,000.

“In the next 10 days we will have received 1.5-million doses. There will be no shortage to ensure the full complement of the education sector is covered,” he said.

The vaccination of teachers is scheduled to be concluded by July 8.

According to data from the health department, the total number of people who have registered on government’s vaccine portal is 3,687,439. The number of those who have been vaccinated with the J&J and Pfizer jabs is 2,229,242.

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