This is part of the government’s Sisonke Protocol initiative, aimed at vaccinating healthcare workers. More than 145,000 frontline workers have already received the vaccine.
Mooimed’s hospital manager, Dr Kobus Slabber, says the process at Klerksdorp’s Tshepong Hospital proceeded without incident.
“The process was very streamlined and efficient. It took the first group of frontline healthcare workers about two hours and the second group about an hour to go through all the screening and vaccination points. The staff of Tshepong Hospital was very professional, efficient and well trained,” he says.
He says Mooimed staff had to undergo several screening processes before receiving the vaccine. “The staff had to be screened before receiving the vaccine to ensure all were healthy with no cold or flu-like symptoms. Consent forms had to be completed upon registering and possible side effects explained. The staff was monitored afterwards to ensure they didn’t experience any complication or side effects,” Slabber explains. Slabber says the staff had to be registered on the EVDS system to obtain a voucher for the vaccination process.
“Before receiving the vaccine, the staff was briefed on the process and their voucher numbers checked with a valid identification document. A registered nurse did the vaccinations and the staff had to spend time in waiting rooms to ensure that they did not experience any side effects. Afterwards, they all received a certificate and SMS to confirm that the vaccination has been completed and their well-being assessed.”
Slabber says the staff responded very positively to the whole process. Here are some of the comments from some health workers:
Rachel Selebi: I feel protected and privileged to have been able to receive my injection during the first round of vaccinations
Liza Tyukatha: I feel like an important person and that my life, health and well-being are valued.
Bianca Rautenbach: It is nice to know that by taking the vaccine, I am not only protecting myself but also my patients and loved ones at home.
The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, used in the Sisonke programme, provide 57 per cent protection against moderate to severe disease, 85 per cent against severe disease and 100 per cent against death- based evidence from clinical trials that included South African participants. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is currently being used in the roll-out for health workers.
