SOUTH Africa is being left behind as advanced and emerging economies alike begin to vaccinate their populations against Covid-19.
This is the sentiment of Dr Frans Cronje, CEO of the Institute of Race Relations (IRR) which is considering legal action to force Covid-19 vaccine acquisition.
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The institute said yesterday (Monday) that it would be approaching the Minister of Health as well as all Department of Health MECs, and heads of major hospital and health insurers to learn what vaccine-related supplies have been procured, from which providers, how they will be distributed and when distribution will begin.
It is not good enough to say there is a plan to procure vaccines,’ said Cronje.
‘South Africans need to know what has been procured and when it will be available.
‘This is not unreasonable given that other countries have been able to take these steps, publish the information, and actually get the vaccines to people.’
Cronje said that by the IRR’s calculations, South Africa – with support from the private sector – could ‘easily and rapidly’ finance vaccine procurement.
‘If it does not do so urgently, the human and economic toll of the virus on the country will be further catastrophically exacerbated,’ he said.
Hermann Pretorius, IRR Head of Strategic Initiatives said the issue is first and foremost one of human and civil rights, and secondly, a necessary step to economic recovery.
‘The IRR will apply its resources to making this happen as fast as possible,’ said Pretorius.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr Zweli Mkhize on Sunday announced the government’s plans to target 67% of the South African population to achieve herd immunity, with the approach of a phased roll-out of the vaccine.
Phase one would include frontline healthcare workers; phase two to include essential workers, senior citizens older than 60 (target: five million) and citizens older than 18 who have co-morbidities (target: eight million).
Phase three would include all other citizens older than 18 (target: 22.5-million).
This means that by the end of phase three, 40.3-million citizens would have been immunised.
Currently, two medical aid schemes have said they would fund the Covid-19 vaccine for their members, with more schemes still weighing it up.
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