The Department of Health’s HOD, Dr Savera Mohangi, was the first person in Mpumalanga to get the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine.
The vaccinations programme was launched on Friday at Rob Ferreira Hospital.Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane and the MEC for health, Sasekani Manzini, facilitated the launch.
Two thousand doses of the vaccine have been delivered to Rob Ferreira Hospital and 1 640 doses will be delivered to the Witbank Hospital.
“Today we are here to launch the provincial rollout of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine. As you are aware, the country is at the tail-end of the second wave, which was much more severe than the first,” Mtshweni-Tsipane said.
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“The decision to start with healthcare workers first was the correct one and the rest of us shall follow. Statistics show that our health workers are most susceptible to contract the Covid-19 infection.
We have also sadly lost 41 of our healthcare workers in the province, who have selflessly sacrificed their lives to save others. In Mpumalanga we have recorded over 69 613 Covid-19 positive cases and a mortality rate of 1 213, which translates to 1,7 per cent.
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Our province continues to record a recovery rate of 96 per cent. We currently have 1 611 active cases.
“These are not just statistics; they represent real people who were mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, friends, breadwinners and active members of their communities. “We are also preparing for a possible third wave this May,” she explained.
The premier added that if the third wave happens, the province will need to have all its workers healthy and protected against the virus.
