Photo by: Reuters
Business for South Africa (B4SA) has confirmed that all private sector vaccination sites across South Africa are now accepting walk-ins from anyone eligible for vaccination, including those without medical aid.
As of August 16, those eligible for vaccination include those over the age of 35. From September 1, people under the age of 35 will become eligible for vaccination.
B4SA health work group chairperson Stavros Nicoloau says it is a common myth that only those with medical aid can visit private sector sites, which is incorrect, and laments that all sites deliver the same service, for free, to anyone who needs a vaccine.
B4SA is coordinating the private sector’s work with government to roll out the national vaccination programme.
The private sector vaccination sites include independent community pharmacies, corporate pharmacy chains such as Clicks and Dis-Chem, private hospitals and medical scheme vaccination sites.
Workplace sites that are currently vaccinating their staff are, however, not yet open to the public.
B4SA explains that while sites prioritise those with scheduled appointments and those over the age of 60, no person over 35 is required to pre-register before visiting a site for a vaccination. Private sites are equipped with staff to assist walk-ins with the registration process.
The business organisation nonetheless encourages the public to pre-register at https://vaccine.enroll.health.gov.za/#/ before visiting a site for vaccination.
As further motivation to get vaccinated, Nicoloau says data from hospitals around the world are showing there are virtually no vaccinated people in intensive care units or dying from Covid-19.
In the US, less than 0.5% of those who die from Covid-19 are vaccinated, while more than 95% of those hospitalised are unvaccinated.
In South Africa, Groote Schuur Hospital infectious diseases head Dr Marc Mendelson notes that not one vaccinated person has been in the Covid-19 high care ward for weeks.
See attached B4SA’s list of private sector vaccination sites across the country.