How vaccinations for people over 50 will work
South Africans over the age of 50 can register for vaccinations from 1 July 2021 and will be allowed to walk in at a vaccination centre to receive their jab.
This is feedback from Dr Nicholas Crisp, deputy director-general in the national Department of Health, who spoke to Netwerk24 about the next phase of vaccinations in the country.
Acting health minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane announced last week that people aged between 50 and 59 would be able to register for the Covid-19 vaccines this week.
These vaccinations are scheduled to begin on 15 July.
Commenting on the programme, Kubayi-Ngubane acknowledged that the government would not meet its target of vaccinating over five million senior citizens by the end of June.
This, she said, is mainly due to vaccine hesitancy, a lack of technology for some citizens to register, and vaccination centres that are located far from people’s residences.
She added that the government was concerned about the number of people over 60 who have registered for a vaccine, which has continued to decrease.
The minister said that this was particularly problematic as this age group is most at risk and yet the majority of people have not been vaccinated.
While these challenges remain, Crisp said the government is ready to move to the next phase of vaccinations.
He provided details for people over 50 who want to register for vaccinations, summarised in the table below.
| Vaccinations for people over 50 | |
| Question | Answer |
| When do registrations for people over 50 start? | 1 July 2021 |
| Where must people register? | Covid-19 vaccination portal |
| When will vaccinations for people over 50 start? | 15 July 2021 |
| Must I wait for an SMS to receive a vaccine appointment? | It is preferred that you wait for an appointment, but walk-ins are accepted |
| If I registered at my medical aid, should I still register on the official vaccine portal? | Yes |
| Are there enough vaccines available? | Yes |
Now read: How dominant the Delta coronavirus variant is in Gauteng
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