Cracks beginning to show in SA’s vaccination data system

Although kicking off with a promising, albeit slow, start to the vaccine roll-out, cracks rather than glitches have started to appear in the Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS).

Many social media users were reporting they managed to get vaccinated as “walk-ins” at vaccination sites, merely having to produce their identity documents to prove they were over 60.

There were also claims many people under 60 were registering by falsely claiming to be a health worker or in a health-related job. At the same time, there were many over-60s who had registered on the EVDS who have received no notification of appointments for the jab.

Also, there were some reports from people who did receive SMS appointments – but that these were at short notice or required them to go to a vaccination centre far away.

Phase two of Covid-19 vaccination roll-out began on Monday last week with 39 371 inoculated in the first two days with the first dose of the two-part Pfizer vaccine. The number rose to 44 976 people by day five, before dropping to 564 people on day six.

Only 171 860 people were vaccinated by midnight last night, while more than 1.6 million people over the age of 60 have registered on EVDS out of 5.4 million. There was a significant bump over the weekend to 4 542 people vaccinated 24 hours between Sunday and Monday.

However, it seems problems are cropping up again. According to Business for South Africa (B4SA) in the last week of May, SA should be inoculating at least 192 500 people a day.

According to a B4SA graphic, the first week of the roll-out should have started with 54 200 vaccinations a day followed by 109 200 – eventually stepping up to 192 500 jabs daily until the end of June, based on six days a week.

B4SA’s Martin Kingston said the vaccination programme was gathering steam throughout the country – bringing more sites into operation.

“Over time these will also open for longer and with greater capacity,” he said.

“Phase 2, launched on 17 May with 87 sites being operational, today there are 177 in operation, with many more coming online next week.”

News24 reported yesterday the EVDS had been closed due to people registering as health workers in order to jump the queue.

However, on Monday the Gauteng department of health said it had increased the number of public vaccination sites from 28 to 63 spread across the five regions of the province: Joburg (18), Tshwane (14), Ekurhuleni (14), West Rand (10) and Sedibeng (7).

The department’s spokeswoman Kwara Kekana said she was unaware of the EVDS being closed. More sites with fewer vaccinations happening begs the question, what is going on?

The national department of health spokesman Popo Maja was e-mailed, called, and sent questions on WhatsApp, however, did not respond.

As registration numbers grow, and more vaccinations arrive in the country, it appeared there may be a supply chain issue. It may also be as control of the EVDS is delegated to provincial level as confirmed by Maja on Monday, glitches in the appointment SMSs may be occurring.

While the department dithers, the SA Democratic Teachers Union (Sadtu) has called for teachers to be inoculated as soon as possible. A request for information on when they would become eligible also went unanswered.

“Teachers are front lineworkers and the drivers of the economy, they are an organised workforce with a formidable database that can accelerate the roll-out of the vaccination process,” said Sadtu’s general secretary, Mugwena Maluleke.

“We want the government to use their workstation as the vaccination centres to ensure learning doesn’t stop.”

More than 3 500 teachers have died from Covid-19 across SA.

– reitumetsem@citizen.co.za