Pretoria - A pioneer of the capital city has become the 10 000th person to receive a Covid-19 vaccine at the first drive-thru vaccination site in Tshwane.
Khatija Jeeva Mohammed, 98, from Centurion went through the Zwartkops Drive-Thru site on the R55 shortly after 11am.
Her son, Afzal, said: “It’s indeed an honour for my mom to be number 10 000. I came for my jab here two weeks ago and the service was super. I decided to bring my mom for her Johnson&Johnson vaccine.”
“Now that she’s got it, it’s a relief,” said Afzal who is a musician.
Jeeva said: “I’m so happy I got my injection. I appeal to everyone, young and old, to get vaccinated. There is no need to be scared. Let’s all save lives.”
Social activist, Yusuf Abramjee, said: “Aunty Khatija is the oldest person to get vaccinated at Zwartkops. The other day we had a 90-year-old granny. We are delighted that more and more senior citizens are also getting their vaccines.”
Mrs Jeeva is one of Pretoria's oldest residents.
Originally from Marabastad, the former Laudium resident said: “I remember my parents telling me about the 1918 pandemic and I wouldn't want anyone to experience that again.”
“Love each other and care for each other because that is all that really matters.”
Jeeva, born in 1923, added that she is “looking forward to her next birthday and the one after that.”
Special presentations were made to the 10 000th person vaccinated.
A special hamper with items from Amka Products, vouchers from Vodacom, Kia Thai Spa Erasmia, Beleza Skin & Lazer Clinic Centurion, Foodline Laudium, A Foot Spa and voucher from Gatta’s Fabric World sponsored by Dr Shouneez Omar, Volunteer Dr Munnira Moosa from Illumination Health, vouchers from Trends and cupcakes from Personal Touch Catering by Preeya were amongst the items presented to Jeeva.
The total value is over R10 000.
Dr Sataar Aboobaker, 80, who is also a volunteer at the vaccination site, administered the J&J vaccine. He jokingly said: “I’m catching up fast to aunty Khatija’s age.”
Tshwane Executive Mayor Randall Williams said: “Congratulations to one of our city’s senior citizens for taken the jab. I appeal to all residents who qualify to please get vaccinated. The volunteers at this Zwartkops drive-thru site are doing sterling work.”
The Zwartkops drive-thru site was opened by Gauteng Premier David Makhura as a partnership between the community and the Gauteng Government on Thursday August 12.
Makhura has visited the site twice already and praised the community for taking up the initiative. He thanked the many volunteers including doctors, paramedics, nurses, medical students and members of the community for their active citizenry.
Gauteng Health MEC, Dr Nomathemba Mokgethi, said during a recent visit that the Zwartkops drive-thru was doing very well and she also thanked the volunteers.
Both Pfizer and J&J vaccines are on offer. The site is open Mon-Thu and Saturdays from 9am to 3pm. On Fridays, it operates from 2pm to 4pm.
Abramjee said they were humbled by the positive feedback from those who get their jabs at the drive-thru.
He added that on average some 550 vaccines were administered every day at the site. Long queues often start forming from early as 7am.
The 5 000th vaccine was administered last Tuesday.
“Depending on the demand, we plan to continue with this drive-thru until the end of September. We will assess it over the coming days,” Abramjee said.
He thanked the many sponsors. This week, Vodacom presented eight Huawei tablets to the site for use by volunteers to capture the registrations and vaccine info on the EVDS system.
Pretoria News