Deputy health minister Joe Phaahla has reassured the nation that government will not run out of vaccines to inoculate teachers and education staff within the stipulated time.
On Wednesday, Phaahla joined basic education minister Angie Motshekga in Tembisa, where the vaccination of basic education staff and teachers began. Government wants to vaccinate all people working in schools and district offices over the next 10 days. The vaccination of the basic education sector uses the Johnson and Johnson jab, which uses a single dose.
Phaahla said vaccines would be coming in the next few days to ensure that the target of completing the sector by July 8 is achieved.
“We have 300,000 jabs already. In the next seven days or so we should be receiving another 700,000. Those who will not be covered from the first 300,000 will get in the next 700,000, which should be in the next few days. We will not run short of stock. After the 700,000, within a few days there is another 500,000 [arriving]. In total, in the next 10 days, we will have received 1.5-million doses, so there will be no shortage in terms of making sure that the full compliment of the education sector is covered,” he said.
Government’s vaccination programme has not moved at the required speed because of the delivery issues of doses due to approvals by manufacturers. This has placed the state under immense pressure from opposition parties, which have lashed at government for not widening its supplier base to ensure that the country gets vaccines from different manufacturers.
The EFF in particular has been on the forefront of calling on SA to procure vaccines from China and Russia as the supply from the US has been hit by several delays.
Vaccination of teachers has been prioritized by government to stabilize the sector and ultimately get teaching and learning back on track.
Gauteng alone, which is currently experiencing a massive third wave of Covid-19 infections has to vaccinate 125,000 staff over the next 10 days.
“We had a meeting yesterday with our experts and the numbers are not encouraging. We have to do something. We have to recommend to national government what we believe can be a possible solution…We have not even reached our peak. We have to do something to reduce the numbers and protect the province. We are asking residents of the province to play their part. It might not be about [introducing] stricter regulations. It is about the basics – wearing of masks, avoiding crowded spaces and sanitizing,” said Gauteng education MEC Panyaza Lesufi.
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