Let’s roll up our sleeves for jabs

In many respects, our government has not exactly covered itself in glory when it comes to implementing a widespread and effective anti-Covid-19 vaccination campaign.

It has appeared to dither and change course on what vaccines it considers suitable; taken inordinately long to secure vaccines from overseas and even longer to start wholesale inoculation of the population.

Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize admitted yesterday that the country will fall short of its target of vaccinating more than 40 million people by year’s end – the total needed to achieve “community immunity”. He now says that milestone will only be achieved some time in the first quarter of next year.

Currently, even at the speeded up rate we have witnessed in the past week, it will still take us years to get to that target.

Yet, the government still maintains that phase two of the jabs programme will see five million people over the age of 60 inoculated by the end of June.

Whatever the failings have been, the reality is that the process can only start speeding up from now on… and not only because, as the cynics might claim, it can’t get any slower.

Vaccines are now arriving in the country in their hundreds of thousands per week and the private sector – from medical aids to pharmacies to GPs – is ready to roll up its proverbial sleeves while their patients roll up theirs.

We are hopeful that the programme will accelerate to such an extent that the Doubting Thomases among us will hang their heads in shame at their scepticism.

Is that being too starry-eyed? We don’t think so. Everybody involved – and this will not be a wholly government operation in future – believes in the importance of the process and, being South Africans, they can see the greater, national good.

This adventure can only bring out the best in us.