Minister Zweli Mkhize on Wednesday 27 January 2021 shared a guide to better explain South Africa’s vaccine procurement and rollout strategy. The guide covers details about the phased rollout.
SA’s COVID-19 vaccine procurement and rollout strategy
As per government communications, SA “will receive 1 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine – the Oxford University-Astra Zeneca SII vaccine – in January”, with a further 500 000 doses arriving at our shores in February.
South Africa’s estimated 1.25 million healthcare workers will be vaccinated first. In addition, South Africa reached an agreement with the COVAX Facility “to secure vaccines to immunise 10$ of the population”.
As reported, the Oxford University-Astra-Zeneca vaccine “has already been approved by various regulators around the world”.
“Government is also working closely with South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) to ensure there is no delay approving the vaccine for use”.
Phased rollout for the COVID-19 vaccine
Government want to reiterate that there is “no deliberate delay to access the COVID-19 vaccine”, that the vaccines will be selected based “on their safety and efficacy, ease of use, storage, distribution, supply sustainability and cost”.
The three-phase rollout strategy will begin with the most vulnerable in South Africa, and government’s target is to “vaccinate 67% of the population by the end of 2021. At that point, we’ll have achieved herd immunity.
Phase 1 will focus on the country’s healthcare workers, while Phase 2 will focus on essential workers, person in congregate settings, persons over the age of 60 and person with co-morbidities who are over the age of 18.
Phase 3 will target approximately 22 500 000 South Africans, and will be administered to person older than 18 years of age.
Vaccine distribution
The report states that “government as the sole purchases of vaccines – procured from “different manufacturers – will distribute it to provincial governments and the private sector”.
Even though there will be different types of vaccines in the programme, individuals cannot be “vaccinated with two different vaccines”.
“The vaccination system will be based on a pre-vaccination registration and appointment system. All those vaccinated will be placed on a national register and be provided with a vaccination card. The national rollout committee will oversee the vaccine implementation in both the public and private sectors”.
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