The South African National Health Council, led by the Minister of Health Dr. Zweli Mkhize, has announced the launch of phase two of the mass COVID-19 vaccination campaign in the country, reported Times Live.
In a national television broadcast on Sunday evening, South Africa’s health minister Khize said that the first phase of the vaccination campaign ended last Friday with 478,000 of the planned 500,000 healthcare workers receiving the jab. The second phase will begin on Monday, May 17.
“These (remaining) doses will not be used for Phase 2 or Phase 3, but they will be used by the Medical Research Council to conduct some important studies and programs that will help us to understand how vaccines work for population groups such as people living with HIV, and pregnant and lactating mothers,” Mkhize said.
The South African minister said that phase two of the vaccination drive will prioritize vulnerable people such as those over the age of 60 years and those with comorbidities before the general public can get vaccinated in the next phase. He informed that delivery of Pfizer vaccines on Sunday would bring the available doses in the country to just over 975,000.
He said that health authorities will continue to vaccinate healthcare workers and complete the targeted 1.2 million healthcare workers in the coming week.
“We will also begin to vaccinate citizens 60 years and older who are most vulnerable of becoming ill or dying of COVID-19,” Mkhize said.
He added that the South African health authorities have set a target to inoculate five million citizens by end of June, provided that the supply of vaccines flow as anticipated.
The vaccination would begin on Monday at 87 sites across the country, 83 in the public sector and four in the private sector, all of which would be published for public information.
