Cape Town - The registration of the 35-49 age bracket for their Covid-19 vaccine is fast approaching 1 000 000 in the Western Cape, says Premier Alan Winde.
It reached 300 000 registrations in just four days.
“The Western Cape is trying to manage the limited number of vaccines it has at each site in a fair manner, based on those who are most vulnerable. The best and most objective way to do this is by age. This is because older residents have a much higher chance of dying if they get infected. This is based on very sound research globally,” said Winde.
The Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS) has started scheduling vaccinations for this age bracket where there were gaps, and appointment SMSes will be starting sooner than initially planned, he said.
“Some residents in this age-bracket have asked me whether they can walk-in already too. The simple answer is yes, but there are some complexities which I want to better explain, so that our residents understand why it won’t always be successful at this early stage and why we would prefer you to wait for an appointment if you can.
“We still have registered residents in the 50+ bracket who have yet to receive the first dose of the vaccine, and an even larger proportion in the 60+ bracket, who still need their second dose. But we only have a set number of doses to use each week, and at each site,” said Winde.
The provincial government has introduced a prioritisation system for walk-ins to ensure fairness at its public sites (private sites might operate differently).
“Those over-60 residents requiring a first or second dose are our top priority in the walk-in queue, as they are at highest risk of hospitalisation and death and find it the most difficult to register online. They will be assisted first.”
With current supplies, the province is able to administer about 150 000 vaccinations a week. This includes second doses, which must be given six weeks after the first dose. Six weeks ago (the week of May 31 to June 4), the Western Cape vaccinated approximately 70 000 people, who would now also be needing a second dose.
“We must ensure proper planning for this, so that no one is left behind,” said Winde.
For more information, call 0860 142 142, or see https://coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/vaccine/
Cape Times