Grocery voucher reward for over-60s who vaccinate
The pilot programme will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.
PEOPLE aged 60 and older, who get their first Covid-19 vaccination in November, will automatically receive a R100 grocery voucher redeemable at Shoprite, Checkers or Usave supermarkets across the country.
The pilot scheme is valued at R26 million to benefit 260 000 pensioners.
Vooma vaccination vouchers will be sent via SMS to the cell number used to register for the vaccine. They will serve as an incentive to encourage older people to get vaccinated before the fourth wave, which is expected early in 2022.
Read also: ‘Myths and misinformation’ fuelling Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy, says Zikalala
Over 80% of all Covid-related deaths in South Africa have occurred in people older than 50, and 60% in people over 60. For every death, there have been four hospital admissions. Each hospitalisation for serious or critical Covid-19 infection costs the public health sector an average of R75 000, and the cost to families and the broader economy is far greater.
“While the vaccination itself is free, people still have to get there, and even paying a taxi fare may mean the family goes hungrier that day,” said the CEO of the DG Murray Trust, Dr David Harrison. Harrison is leading a multi-donor process of support to the Department of Health to help ensure the success of the vaccination programme.
However, the initiative is not without risk, he said. Some people may be upset because they did not receive a voucher when they were vaccinated.
“However, by far the gift of greatest value is the vaccine itself, which has spared many of them hospital costs and family trauma. Others may criticise the ethics of rewarding those who have not ‘done the right thing’, but our moral myopia should not obscure the fact that many of the 150 000 people aged 60 and older who died of Covid-19 were caregivers of young children or the main contributors to household income. It seems churlish to wrangle over the ethics of a R100 grocery voucher if its incentivising power prevents serious illness and death.”
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