Professor Ian Sanne, a member of the Covid ministerial advisory committee, said: “I would make Covid-19 vaccines mandatory for participation in any community spaces where people congregate. This would include sport, tertiary education and perhaps even secondary education institutions, workplaces and to get on airplanes, trains and taxis.
“The policy could accommodate those who do not wish to be vaccinated but they would need to demonstrate weekly Covid-test negative status.”
Professor Francois Venter from the Wits faculty of health sciences said mandates would boost vaccines. “It has been remarkably effective, even in super-individualist and vaccine-iffy countries like France.”
But mandates would push up numbers only where they were applied, such as workplaces or restaurants, he said. “Vaccine access needs to be more convenient, a tent at every supermarket and taxi rank,” Venter said.
Professor Jeremy Seekings, director of the centre for social science research at the University of Cape Town, said the national and provincial departments of health “could do more to improve access to vaccination in poor neighbourhoods”.
“[The government’s] biggest enduring failure is in confronting vaccine misinformation.”
How to up the jab rate, according to SA’s Covid-19 experts
Covid vaccinations in SA almost halved during November, and more than half of adults — about 57%, or 22.8-million — still aren’t vaccinated.
Image: WHO/COVAX
Covid vaccinations almost halved in the last week of November compared with the same period the month before, and more than half of adults in SA — about 57%, or 22.8-million — are still not immunised.
But early signals this week suggest the highly infectious Omicron variant could boost demand, with 154,154 vaccinated on Friday compared with 115,337 the previous Friday.
Wits University vaccinology professor Shabir Madhi said a combination of apathy and hesitancy contributed to the earlier lack of demand.
“I suspect many people don’t believe there is an urgent need for vaccination, especially younger age groups who have been relatively spared,” he said.
“The hesitancy is fuelled by mixed messaging from government and earlier by its advisers, casting doubts about how vaccines would protect against even severe disease due to Beta. This is compounded by misinformation that has run rampant.”
Department of health spokesperson Foster Mohale said: “We have enough vaccines, human resource and vaccination sites.” He blamed fake news and misinformation for the slow rate.
Infectious-disease specialists warned the vaccine mandates were not a silver bullet without good access and communication.
IN NUMBERS
967,100: Vaccinations in the last week of October
551,600: Vaccinations in the last week of November
Professor Ian Sanne, a member of the Covid ministerial advisory committee, said: “I would make Covid-19 vaccines mandatory for participation in any community spaces where people congregate. This would include sport, tertiary education and perhaps even secondary education institutions, workplaces and to get on airplanes, trains and taxis.
“The policy could accommodate those who do not wish to be vaccinated but they would need to demonstrate weekly Covid-test negative status.”
Professor Francois Venter from the Wits faculty of health sciences said mandates would boost vaccines. “It has been remarkably effective, even in super-individualist and vaccine-iffy countries like France.”
But mandates would push up numbers only where they were applied, such as workplaces or restaurants, he said. “Vaccine access needs to be more convenient, a tent at every supermarket and taxi rank,” Venter said.
Professor Jeremy Seekings, director of the centre for social science research at the University of Cape Town, said the national and provincial departments of health “could do more to improve access to vaccination in poor neighbourhoods”.
“[The government’s] biggest enduring failure is in confronting vaccine misinformation.”
Image: Boston University
The Sunday Times asked Covid experts what three steps they would take to boost vaccine uptake
PROFESSOR IAN SANNE
Head of health organisation Right to Care
PROFESSOR GLENDA GRAY
President of the Medical Research Council and co-principal head of the Sisonke 1 & 2 implementation trials, vaccinating health-care workers nationally
Image: Wits University
PROFESSOR SHABIR MADHI
Dean of the Wits faculty of health sciences and co-principal investigator on two Covid vaccine trials
PROFESSOR FRANCOIS VENTER
Divisional head Ezintsha, Wits faculty of health sciences
DR NOMATHEMBA CHANDIWANA
Senior research clinician at Ezintsha
MORE:
Hospital association welcomes possible mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations consultation
Gauteng government update on Covid-19 and vaccination rollout
This is how we are trying to reverse vaccine hesitancy
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