State security minister visits vaccine sites

DURING her visit to three vaccination sites in the province yesterday, State Security Minister Ayanda Dlodlo said a large batch of vaccines from Pfizer would arrive on May 17 for phase 2 of the vaccine roll-out.

Dlodlo visited Khayelitsha, Tygerberg and Groote Schuur hospitals to inspect and monitor the vaccination roll-out programme in the province.

According to the province’s Covid19 dashboard, there have been 11 627 deaths and 270 595 recoveries, with 1 941 active cases recorded.

Dlodlo said a lot of hard work had led to the province being ready to roll out the vaccination programme.

“The first (phase) started with health-care workers but I am told here at Groote Schuur they have started with private practitioners as well and brought them into the programme for the roll-out of the vaccination programme,” she said.

Groote Schuur chief executive Dr Bhavna Patel said the hospital was planning to roll out phase 2 of the vaccination programme in communities so that vaccination sites were closer to people on the ground.

“We have been at the vaccination site since the start of the Sisonke trial, and we vaccinated all the health workers at Groote Schuur Hospital but we also have been vaccinating everybody in the southern western substructure, all the health workers from all those facilities, and also at Red Cross hospital, University of Cape Town staff, City staff.

“Phase 1B is nearing completion, at around May 15, and then phase 2 will commence.

“The vaccines have to be stored at a certain temperature so there are only certain facilities that can do that and we have those facilities here and fridges that are required for specific temperatures.

“We have installed a lot of security measures from cameras to access control to ensure that everything stays safe – and even where the vaccines get drawn up by pharmacists in the pharmacy during this trial phase,” said Patel.