Be transparent with vaccines

After weeks of mixed signals, it was refreshing to hear Health Minister Zweli Mkhize finally outline government’s vaccine strategy on Sunday evening.

Although Mkhize reiterated that no firm commitments had been made with pharmaceutical companies, he revealed government was negotiating with Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers to get supplies into the country as early as next month.

However, the signing of nondisclosure agreements with some manufacturers had taken place, but they were awaiting “specific offers” from these companies.

The minister said the vaccine roll-out programme would target roughly 40 million people – 67% of the population.

Government was confident vaccination targets would be achieved by the end of 2021, hopefully developing “herd immunity” to Covid-19.

Justifiably, front-line health workers would be first in line, followed by those working in essential services and those with comorbidities.

So, is it too good to be true? And has enough been done to speed up the process?

Opposition leader, the DA’s John Steenhuisen doesn’t think so.

He asks: “Other nations have been able to do this.

Why can’t we? The nation of Colombia, a country with almost identical socioeconomic circumstances as South Africa, has managed to immediately source a Covid-19 vaccine and has secured nine million doses.”

Steenhuisen added: “The longer this ANC government delays access to a Covid-19 vaccine, the more lives and livelihoods our country will lose to this virus. We need to save the lives of the citizens and give our economy a fighting chance to begin the long road to some form of recovery.”

He has a point. It’s one thing having a roll-out strategy, it’s a different proposition altogether of how the vaccine would be distributed.

Any further silence or delays from government will lead to more confusion.

Transparency is key in keeping the nation updated. It’s the least we deserve.

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