In typically contradictory South African fashion, as the circus which is ANC politics played itself out on the national stage, hope was in the air as the local COVID-19 vaccine rollout began.
In his response to the State of the Nation debate, President Cyril Ramaphosa referred to the beginning of the vaccine rollout as a new chapter in the fight against COVID-19.
KZN has received 10,800 of the 80,000 Johnson & Johnson vaccine doses that have touched down in the country so far.
The Gauteng Health Department is expecting more jabs from Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer to arrive soon.
The first recipient of the J&J vaccination shot in Pretoria, Dr Ornica Khobo-Mpe said it is everyone’s right to ask questions about the vaccine – but trials and science will deliver the answers.
The Johnson & Johnson candidate, which has shown very promising results against the COVID-19 variant that was first identified in South Africa, was now being rolled out in all provinces.
President Cyril Ramaphosa was among the first group of people to be vaccinated with the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine in Khayelitsha on Wednesday.
Health care workers and politicians, including President Cyril Ramaphosa and Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, were among the first South Africans to be given the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine on 17 February.
Gauteng Premier David Makhura has said the delay in the national immunisation campaign meant that the province would have to adapt its own rollout plan, but added that there would be no disruptions.
The healthcare institutions are part of the province’s 224 public vaccination sites.
In arguing that taxi drivers should be considered essential workers when COVID-19 vaccines are rolled out, the taxi industry claimed it transports 70% of South Africa’s commuters, or more than 15 million people daily. Africa Check crunched the numbers.
One million doses of COVID-19 vaccine have arrived in South Africa and were officially welcomed by President Cyril Ramaphosa at OR Tambo International Airport. #COVID19news #Vaccines
The first million doses of COVID-19 vaccines arrived in South Africa from India on 1 February 2021, marking the start of government's ambitious plan to vaccinate 67% of the population by the end of the year.
The first batch of COVID-19 vaccines is finally here in South Africa. Here’s all you need to know about it. #COVID19news #Vaccines
