Limpopo hires guards to protect Covid-19 vaccine

At least 200 healthcare workers who will be vaccinating community members in Limpopo will travel with security guards to protect the vaccine.

This was revealed by Limpopo health MEC Phophi Ramathuba yesterday during a Covid-19 vaccine roll-out plan in Polokwane, adding that a team of vaccinators was already in training.

“We are going to allocate 200 vaccinators who are professional nurses and will be allocated an enrolled nurse and a security guard to protect the very same vaccine. We are already having 169 vaccinators who are already in training. We might start vaccinating the first one on February 15,” she said.

Ramathuba said each vaccinator will target about 50 people a day and more vaccinators will be needed when approaching phase 2 and 3.

At least over 40,000 frontline healthcare workers will be vaccinated for Covid-19 within three weeks.

Limpopo premier Stan Mathabatha also announced that the province has been allocated 44,526 Covid-19 vaccine doses for health staff members. "Through all the systems put in place, Limpopo has the capacity to vaccinate all the phase 1 population within a period of two to three weeks,” said Mathabatha.

Mathabatha added that as part of enrollment for the vaccine, all health workers will complete an online registration and the system will also be part of the consent procedures and risk assessment.

Limpopo has 39 sites ready to administer the vaccination process.

The premier further announced that the province has successfully established governance, co-ordination and planning structures which are tasked with the Covid-19 vaccination process.

Mathabatha said the first priority will be given to those considered to be essential for societal functioning. 

“Phase 2 will be those at risk of infection and serious outcomes, above 60 years with comorbidities and those living in overcrowded settings, while Phase 3 will be open to everyone,” he said.

The premier said pregnant women and children under the age of 18 years will be excluded from vaccination, since the group has not yet been studied for vaccine efficacy.

Ramathuba said the data for vaccine doses for the frontline workers was gathered by the national department through its payroll system.

“These are employees within the department of health who are on persal system. However, we made it clear that the doses were not enough because we have additional employees such as securities and those who work in the kitchens and cleaners,” she said.

Ramathuba said she had already applied for about 6,000 additional doses to accommodate additional frontline workers.