City increases its vaccination capacity

With the festive season in the rear-view mirror, the City of Cape Town appeals to residents to start the new year with a vaccination, if they have not done so already, or a booster shot, if they are eligible.

The City is introducing vaccination services at four additional sites this week.

The non-profit organisation, Khethimpilo will host pop-up vaccination sites on a rotational basis at the following community day centres between 9am and 3pm:

• Luvuyo CDC in Khayelitsha on Mondays and Tuesdays

• Gordon’s Bay CDC on Wednesdays

• Dr Ivan Tomms CDC in Mfuleni on Thursdays

• Town Two CDC in Khayelitsha on Fridays

The City already has 12 fixed vaccination sites that are augmented by the area-based mobile vaccination vans, introduced in August last year.

Mayoral committee member for community services and health, Patricia van der Ross, said they are making more resources available to reach the unvaccinated population and also provide ease of access to people who are now eligible for their booster doses.

“A lot of information is doing the rounds about vaccinations, and booster shots, and it is important that residents take a moment to familiarise themselves with all of the new developments over the past month, and get in line for their vaccinations, or booster shots as the case might be,” she said.

Just before Christmas, the national Health Department announced that booster vaccine doses have been approved for both Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson.

Anyone who has had their two doses of the Pfizer vaccine should get a booster dose six months after their second dose was administered.

Anyone who received a Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is a single dose, is eligible for a booster dose two months later.

The public is reminded that children between the ages of 12 and 17 are also eligible for a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

“With the new school year weeks away, now is a good time to get your child vaccinated. The vaccines are safe, but also easily administered. In fact, it is a good time to ensure that your child’s general vaccinations too are up to date.”

“There is no need to register beforehand; simply visit any of the vaccination sites and take your identity document, passport, refugee permit or asylum seeker permit along. If you do not have these documents, the staff at the vaccination sites will register and vaccinate you,’ said Ms Van Der Ross.

The provincial health department said in a media statement that they have seen small increases of vaccination take-up in all age groups and would really like to improve the coverage so they can have 85% of the over 50-year-old cohort fully vaccinated and 65% of the 18 to 49-year-old cohort vaccinated with at least one dose.

To date 4 490 554 vaccines have been administered with 53.23% of the adult population vaccinated with at least one dose and 46.70% being fully vaccinated.

Vaccination performance per age bracket, with at least one dose:

•60 years and older – 519 114 people (71.78%) of people have been vaccinated of which 67.08% being fully vaccinated

•50 to 59 age group – 430 505 (62.93%) of people have been vaccinated with 58.24% already fully vaccinated

•35 to 49 age group – 834 407 (55.19%) of people have been vaccinated with 49.29% fully vaccinated

•18 to 34 age group – 864 741 (42.02%) have been vaccinated with 33.79% fully vaccinated

•In addition, 111 875 of those aged 12 to 17 have also taken up their vaccination.

Regarding booster uptake, 8 292 people have taken up this opportunity for added protection.

A list of public vaccination sites currently operational, is available at https://bit.ly/Covid19VaccinationSites