VACCINATION DIARY
Day Six: More sites added as roll-out enters second week
The second week of South Africa’s Covid-19 vaccine roll-out began with many more sites becoming active in most provinces. Meanwhile, a decision on how the Pfizer vaccine can be stored could be a game-changer.
More than 167,000 people were vaccinated in the first week of Phase Two of South Africa’s Covid-19 vaccine roll-out. They received just the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
The roll-out was given a boost over the weekend, with the finding that the Pfizer vaccine can be stored in a refrigerator for a month. Previously, it was estimated that the vaccine would last in a standard fridge for only five days, but new data prove otherwise. The change was approved by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority after its counterparts in Europe and the US made the same call. Read more about what this means for the roll-out here.
Meanwhile, provinces were busy adding hundreds more vaccination sites.
This week, 27 members of the Independent Community Pharmacy Association will start Covid-19 vaccinations. Another 500 members hope to start vaccinations “within the next few weeks”, said the association.
Currently, these pharmacies are offering vaccinations:
- Ackermans Pharmacy – Germiston, Gauteng
- Eastpark Pharmacy – Springs, Gauteng
- Sparkport Pharmacy – Overport, KZN
- Sparkport City Pharmacy – Durban, KZN
- Sparkport Pharmacy (Quality Street) – Durban, KZN
- Sparkport Musgrave Pharmacy – Durban, KZN
- Stelkor Pharmacy – Stellenbosch, Western Cape
- Simonsrust Pharmacy – Stellenbosch, Western Cape
- Van Heerden Apteek – Faerie Glen, Pretoria
- Van Heerden (Lynriff) Apteek – Lynnwood Ridge, Pretoria
- Van Heerden Pharmacy – Parkview, Pretoria
- Van Heerden Apteek – Glenstantia, Pretoria
- Van Heerden Pharmacy – Rosslyn, Pretoria
- Van Heerden Pharmacy – Lyttelton, Centurion
- Van Heerden Pharmacy – Herfsblaar, Pretoria
- Van Heerden Pharmacy – Sonpark, Nelspruit
- Van Heerden Pharmacy – Nelspruit
- Van Heerden Apteek – Sabie Sabie, Mpumalanga
- Medlin Apteek – Bela Bela, Limpopo
- Van Heerden Apteek En Medisyne Depot – Pretoria
- Van Heerden Pharmacy Bela Mall – Bela Bela, Limpopo
- Script Savers Pharmacy – Modimolle, Limpopo
- Van Heerden Pharmacy Checkers – Nylstroom, Limpopo
- Van Heerden Apteek – Lephalale, Limpopo
- Van Heerden Pharmacy – Phalaborwa, Limpopo
- Van Heerden Pharmacy – Tzaneen, Limpopo
- Van Heerden Pharmacy – Thabazimbi, Limpopo
The association encouraged members of the public to enrol for vaccination and go to the pharmacies once they receive instructions to do so.
Meanwhile, provincial departments of health added to their own lists of active vaccination sites.
The Northern Cape added another two public sites on Monday — Kuruman Hospital and the old Gordonia hospital. There are three public sites in the province, which vaccinated 1,613 people last week. It is preparing De Aar Hospital and Dr Van Niekerk Hospital for activation later this week, while outreach teams visit old age homes throughout the province.
This week, the Eastern Cape will increase its public vaccination sites to 25. The new sites are:
- Madzikane Ka Zulu Memorial Hospital
- Taylor Best Hospital
- St Patrick’s Hospital
- Butterworth Hospital
- Cecilia Makiwane Hospital
- Aliwal North Hospital
The province’s department of health has assured that all old age homes in the province have access to vaccines. However, only 418 residents out of a total of 3,878 have been registered.
Gauteng has opened another 35 vaccination sites. There are 18 sites in Johannesburg, 14 in Tshwane, 14 in Ekurhuleni, 10 in the West Rand and seven in Sedibeng. More than 390,000 people have registered to be vaccinated. The province has vaccinated 40,028 old age home residents out of a total of 163,191 people vaccinated between 17 May and 22 May.
Ekurhuleni launched a “drive-through” vaccination site in Kempton Park. People are vaccinated through the car window and remain inside their cars during the 15-minute mandatory observation period.
In Pretoria, former chairperson of the Independent Electoral Commission board Dr Brigalia Bam was vaccinated. The 88-year-old was “very grateful” to be vaccinated and encouraged everybody to be vaccinated. “It is worth doing,” she said.
Home Affairs Minister Dr Aaron Motsoaledi was vaccinated at St Rita’s Hospital in Glen Cowie, Limpopo, on 24 May. Queen Manyaku Thulare of the Bapedi nation was also vaccinated there. This comes just days after the leader of the Zion Christian Church, Bishop BE Lekganyane, received his vaccination at Pietersburg Hospital.
Limpopo province added another 15 vaccination sites to the initial six.
This week, vaccination teams will start travelling to rural old age homes in the Western Cape.
Another 17 public vaccination sites in the province will come online this week:
- Bishop Lavis
- Bothasig CDC
- Adriaanse Clinic
- Chestnut Clinic
- Chestnut Satellite Clinic
- Delft CHC
- Durbanville CDC
- Goodwood CDC
- Kraaifontein
- Kuyasa Library
- Lansdowne Library Hall
- Ocean View Civic Centre
- Reed Street CDC
- Ruimte Road Satellite Clinic
- Stikland Hospital
- Symphony Way CDC
- Tafelsig Thusong Centre
Another four MediClinic sites will be added:
- Cape Gate
- Milnerton
- Geneva
- Vergelegen
View the full list of 36 public sites and 11 private sites here.
By 23 May, the province had administered 9,241 doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
In North West, 35,264 people had been vaccinated by 22 May. DM/MC
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