DA wants Gauteng to secure more COVID-19 vaccines

With the Gauteng Health Department set to roll out COVID-19 vaccines as early as Monday, 1 February 2021, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in the province is concerned the doses may not be enough.

“The Democratic Alliance welcomes the Gauteng Health Department’s plan to start Covid-19 vaccines next week, but more vaccines need to be obtained urgently to reach the target of more than 10 million people vaccinated in the province,” the DA’s Jack Bloom said in a statement.

The chief executive officer (CEO) of the Medical Supplies Depot Dumisani Malele said they were expecting the first batch by the end of the week.

“National (health department) has informed that probably by the end of the week, we should be able to get our vaccines and our plan is to start the first vaccination by 1 February, that’s if we receive the vaccines by this weekend, depending on the availability and when the vaccines come in,” he said.

South Africa is expected to receive 1.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 treatment.

The DA’s Bloom has said that 150 000 healthcare workers in the province would be receiving the drug but added:

“A really substantial number of vaccines may only come towards the middle of the year. This will be too late to mitigate an expected third wave of COVID-19 infections as winter approaches”

Acquiring a COVID-19 vaccine: Makhura should learn from Western Cape counterpart

Bloom has said that solely relying on the national government to procure the COVID-19 drug was not only unnecessary but also unwise as health is a provincial competence. He has called on Gauteng Premier David Makhura to follow his Western Cape counterpart, Alan Winde’s lead and procure vaccines for the province.

“This is why Western Cape Premier Alan Winde is trying to get extra vaccines from different suppliers. Gauteng Premier David Makhura should also make every effort to get vaccines from around the world wherever they are available,” he said.

“The benefits of vaccines for saving lives and livelihoods in Gauteng are immense, and the earlier the better. Money from the provincial budget for extra vaccines would give a massive return in facilitating economic activity. The country as a whole would benefit because of the hefty role that Gauteng plays in the national economy”

The DA intends launching a petition to urge Makhura to make an urgent effort to procure more jsbs for the people of Gauteng.