SA refocuses on vaccinating 50+ population
According to the health minister, just under 30% of people over the age of 50 have been vaccinated.
HEALTH Minister, Dr Joe Phaahla said his department remains focused on vaccinating adults against Covid-19, although there are rising infections in children younger than 18.
Last week, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) confirmed there had been a ‘shift in the age distribution of cases’ from older to younger people, driven by the Delta variant in the third wave.
Read also: ‘Myths and misinformation’ fuelling Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy, says Zikalala
“Some of the vaccines have already been approved by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority for below 18, however, we want to remain focused for now on the high risk population, which is the older people. If we can reach 70% of those aged 50 plus, we will know that when the next wave comes, our hospitals will not be overwhelmed, as it has been,” Phaahla said during a briefing to the media on the Covid-19 pandemic and the country’s vaccine rollout plans.
According to the Minister, just under 30% of people over the age of 50 have been vaccinated.
“I am hoping that by the end of October, we could be close to 50%. When we reach that, we might be in a better position to say we can now consider the children below 18,” he said.
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