‘I couldn’t sleep last night, waiting for this moment when I finally have my injection’

The day dawned clear and sunny, as across SA people began to gather at vaccination sites to receive their jabs.

Despite reports of a slow start and news that many people had not received text messages confirming their appointments, the first day of SA’s phase two vaccination rollout appeared to go smoothly.

Tembisa resident, Esther Mpande told Sunday Times Daily she was happy to have had the jab despite being discouraged by some people. 

“I couldn’t sleep last night, waiting for this moment when I finally have my injection [vaccination],” she said shortly after she was vaccinated at the Esangweni Clinic in Tembisa, Ekurhuleni, on Monday morning.

The clinic was almost empty shortly before midday.

Mpande, who is in her 70s, said she felt no side effects.

“I could even run a race right now,” she said.

At Pretoria’s FF Ribeiro Clinic, Solomon Laka, 72, was one of dozens of the city’s elderly and health workers who queued for their vaccinations on Monday.

I couldn’t sleep last night, waiting for this moment when I finally have my injection.

—  Tembisa resident Esther Mpande

Laka, who lives in an inner city shelter for the elderly, said getting a jab was the best way of staying safe.

“I am excited,” he told Sunday Times Daily. “I got here early. I am ready. I only knew about the vaccines last week and that we could come to this clinic today.”

Archbishop Desmond Tutu, SA Council of Churches vice-president Rev Frank Chikane and Malusi Mpumlwana, bishop of the Ethiopian Episcopal Church, also lined up to get their jabs on Monday morning.

Chikane, who was vaccinated at the Esangweni Clinic in Tembisa, said he hoped it would inspire other elderly people to register and receive the jab.

“We came here because we wanted to show the way,” he said.

Some government officials also arrived at vaccination centres to show the way forward.

Gauteng transport MEC Jacob Mamabolo was vaccinated at the Esangweni Clinic in Tembisa, while health minister Dr Zweli Mkhize was among a group of local and provincial government officials who arrived at the Munsieville Centre for the Aged, near Krugersdorp, to oversee the start of the rollout.

Gauteng finance MEC Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko visited the Zanele Mbeki Frail Care Centre in Nigel, Ekurhuleni, to see the first of the frail care centre’s 200 residents get vaccinated.

At the Elphin Lodge Retirement Village, Johannesburg, Ethelwyn van Eck, 84, said she was happy to have been vaccinated.

She was the first of the home’s residents to get the jab.

“I’m very relieved to have been vaccinated,” she told Sunday Times Daily. “I think it’s the only way we can deal with the pandemic.” 

It was not all smooth sailing. At the Discoverers Community Health Centre in Roodepoort, nurses and staff battled to register people who, despite having registered successfully for a vaccination on EDVS, had not received confirmation text messages.

In places where a third wave of infections is looming, such as Tshwane, the start of the second phase rollout is race against time.

I’m very relieved to have been vaccinated. I think it’s the only way we can deal with the pandemic.

—  Ethelwyn van Eck, 84, resident at Elphin Lodge Retirement Village

Tshwane reported 896 new infections since Thursday and the city now has 2,156 active cases, a sharp increase in the 1,260 cases that were reported on Monday, May 10.

“The trends are clear now,” said Tshwane executive mayor Randall Williams. “Active Covid-19 cases are speedily increasing, signalling the start of the Covid-19 third wave. It is a race against time.

Government expects the rollout will expand rapidly in the weeks ahead as more vaccination centres open.

Currently 87 vaccination sites are running countrywide, four of which are in the private sector. 

The health department anticipates that 200 centres will be open by the end of the week.

Meanwhile, vaccines continue to arrive in SA with a further 326,000 Pfizer doses due to arrive at OR Tambo International Airport at midnight on Monday. 

By the end of June, 4.5 million Pfizer vaccines will have been delivered to SA and a further  two million from Johnson & Johnson. 

Government says it plans to vaccinate 120,000 people a day in the second phase, though health deputy director-general Anban Pillay cautioned last week that this would depend on vaccine availability, among other issues.

“Up to yesterday [Friday], SA had 650,000 Pfizer doses,” he said. 

“A shipment of 1.1 million Johnson & Johnson doses due to arrive at the end of last month has been delayed,” he said.