Govt reduces time intervals between Covid-19 vaccine doses

The Department of Health announces changes on vaccination programme, which will be effective from today and Wednesday.

With the guidance by scientific evidence, the changes will help increase uptake to Covid-19 vaccine in South Africa.

Booster shots and vaccines

All individuals older than 18 years of age that have received one dose the Johnson and Johnson (J&J) vaccine are now eligible to receive a booster dose of eithe rJ&J or Pfizer after two months.

This change will take effect on Monday.

Government has also changed the reduction of time interval between the first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

Those who are vaccinated no longer have to wait 42 days to get their second dose. Instead, government reduced it to 21 days, which will take effect from Wednesday.

Those who are fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine will now be eligible for booster dose three months (90 days) after the second dose.

The previous waiting period was 180 days (six months).

ALSO READ: WATCH: Anti-vax students arrested outside UFS following protest

“The decision regarding which vaccine to administer as a booster should be guided by vaccine availability.

“Thus, if both vaccines are available at vaccination site, homologous boosting should be preferred, unless the vaccine requests to receive a heterologous or different booster dose, or has a history of experiencing an adverse
event following immunisation”, the Department of Health said in the statement.

EVDS upgrades

Electronic Vaccine Data System (EVDS) will be updated to enable individuals who got their primary vaccine doses outside South Africa and are eligible for booster shots to be registered on the system to receive booster doses.

“More information regarding the date at which the functionality to record such doses on the EVDS will be communicated once this is finalised and available on the EVDS,” the department said.

“Whilst the Covid-19 vaccination programme initially recommended a 14-day interval between an individual receiving a Covid-19 vaccine and any other vaccination, this is no longer required”, they concluded.

ALSO READ: UJ students fear being deregistered because of vaccine policy

Compiled by Lethabo Malatsi.