Durban - South Africa’s ambitious Covid-19 vaccination programme was rolled out to KwaZulu-Natal on Thursday where healthcare workers were given the jab at the Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital in uMlazi.
The vaccination programme was launched by KZN Premier, Sihle Zikalala and KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane who were also expected to be given the jab to allay any fears around its.
Healthcare worker, Nerika Maharaj was the first person in KZN to receive the jab.
According to the KZN Health Department, 5040 vaccines have been sent to the Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital.
The rollout of the vaccines will first target healthcare workers on the frontline who deal directly with patients and there after will be given to administrative staff.
The rollout of the programme in KwaZulu-Natal came just a day after the country’s vaccination programme was launched in Cape Town by President Cyril Ramaphosa and Health Minister Zweli Mkhize.
This after the arrival of 80 000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine on Tuesday night.
The doses were distributed to over 30 vaccination centres for all nine provinces.
At the Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Hospital the vaccines were brought into the vaccination in a blue box centre under the watch of three heavily armed policemen.
After the vaccination stations were set up, the healthcare workers began receiving the jabs which took less than a minute to administer.
There are an estimated 163 000 healthcare workers in KwaZulu-Natal that are eligible for the vaccine.
So far, over 300 000 health-care professionals have registered on the health department's EVDS system – which tracks the vaccinations.
KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Simelane said the department has been working hard in the past four weeks to ensure awareness of the vaccine roll out takes place.
“We took it a step further by using loud hailers through districts,” she said.
IOL