Through this campaign, we are running community-driven campaigns to address concerns about vaccinating, mobile vaccination teams are being deployed to take vaccines to underserved areas, especially in rural districts, while collaboration with communities is helping people to find vaccine sites and get the jab, Phaahla said. The minister also launched a campaign to support health care workers who have been fighting the pandemic, even when many of their colleagues or family members have succumbed to it This campaign is called CrazySock4Docs and includes all healthcare workers, and we support it by simply wearing different and colourful socks.
South Africa has launched the Global Vax campaign in partnership with the US government to accelerate Covid-19 vaccinations and contribute to the goal of vaccinating 70 percent of the global population against coronavirus in 2022.
Speaking at the launch event at a stadium in KwaZulu-Natal province on Frecently, Health Minister Joe Phaahla said the campaign for more people to receive the life-saving jab continued unabated because the vaccine remains the only defense against the Covid-19 infection.
“This initiative is aimed at contributing to the global goal to vaccinate 70 percent of the global population against Covid-19 in 2022,” he said.
“This approach builds on the extraordinary commitment US President Joe Biden has made to donate more than 1.2 million vaccine doses by the end of 2022 and intensifies our efforts to get shots in arms,” Phaahla said.
The minister said the Global Vax campaign was an addition to bilateral efforts with the US government, which encompass a wide range of programs including HIV, tuberculosis, sexually transmitted infections, and non-communicable diseases.
“It would add to our work to enhance partnership in health pandemic response and health system strengthening between the two countries,” he said.
Global Vax will be implemented through a mechanism called Accelerating Development Against Pandemic Threats Activity (ADAPT), which will be managed by the NGO Right to Care in support of the national and provincial departments of health.
“We are upscaling demand for vaccine in the targeted districts, sub-districts, and wards with low vaccination uptake using local and above the line communications platforms,” the minister said.
This was in response to research findings from the University of Cape Town, which showed that 50 percent of unvaccinated people were willing to be vaccinated but are waiting to see the results of the vaccination roll-out.
“They say they either don’t know where to go to get vaccinated or that sites are too far away from them. Through this campaign, we are running community-driven campaigns to address concerns about vaccinating, mobile vaccination teams are being deployed to take vaccines to underserved areas, especially in rural districts, while collaboration with communities is helping people to find vaccine sites and get the jab,” Phaahla said.
The minister also launched a campaign to support healthcare workers who have been fighting the pandemic, even when many of their colleagues or family members have succumbed to it “This campaign is called #CrazySock4Docs and includes all healthcare workers, and we support it by simply wearing different and colorful socks. This cost-effective sign of support means a lot to our hardworking and selfless healthcare workers,” Phaahla said, pointing out how he and the other guests on the podium were wearing bright different-colored socks.
Phaahla said the government was happy with the uptake of vaccination in general, with 50 percent of the adult population receiving at least one jab, with this figure rising to 70 percent for those over 60, who are considered to be the most vulnerable.
“Our concern remains the youth category, with a low vaccine uptake amongst them, especially the 35- 49 age group, who depicts a huge sense of hesitancy, largely influenced by the negativity and vaccine misinformation messages spread mainly through social media platforms,” Phaahla said.
The minister also announced that everyone over the age of 50 could now receive a second booster jab from Monday if they had last received one at least four months ago.
Phaahla said the majority of patients being admitted to hospitals for Covid-19 were unvaccinated.
“This simply suggests that unvaccinated people remain vulnerable and if we were to be hit by another variant of concern or wave, unvaccinated people will flood our health facilities,” he said.
SOURCE: ANI
