The North West province has welcomed the news that it will receive 5 360 additional vaccines from the second batch of Johnson & Johnson jabs that arrived in South Africa on Saturday.
This is over and above the 3 900 that arrived from the first consignment distributed last month.
According to the statement, 2 600 jabs arrived in the province on Sunday, while the remaining vials will only be delivered next week.
North West Health MEC Madoda Sambatha believes that the extra doses of the COVID-19 vaccines will go a long way as the inoculation programme begins to pick up momentum.
“We welcome the additional 5 360 doses of vaccines. Many of our health professionals have been vaccinated already and many more have registered and are ready to take the vaccine,” he said on Tuesday.
The MEC said 7 517 healthcare workers have been vaccinated as of 1 March.
Meanwhile, the registration process is progressing well with 34 152 people who have already signed up to get vaccinated of which 16 748 are health professionals.
According to the latest data, the Bojanala District already has 14 347 registrations, 10 678 in Dr Kenneth Kaunda, 4 863 in Ngaka Modiri Molema and 4 264 in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati.
"The frontline health workers were first to receive the vaccine hence many of those registered are health professionals.”
The province said the 6 623 frontline workers who have gone through the Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS) process are based in Bojanala District, while 5 645 are in Dr Kenneth Kaunda, 2 492 in Ngaka Modiri Molema and 1 988 in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati.
In addition, Sambatha announced the activation of additional vaccination sites.
“The first batch of vaccines was only administered at Job Shimankana Tabane Hospital in Rustenburg and Klerksdorp Hospital.”
However, the MEC said the province has now added Moses Kotane, Life Peglerae and Mahikeng Provincial Hospital pushing the sites to five.
Sambatha indicated that the North West will be operating 43 vaccination facilities both in the public and private sectors once the rollout goes full steam.
"Many of our vaccination sites are ready, we will activate them as and when vaccines are delivered,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Health Department is encouraging residents to continue to adhere to all prevention measures against COVID-19 that has claimed 1 203 live in the province.
“Vaccine is only one of the measures used to curb the spread of the virus. It does not replace social distancing, wearing masks and sanitising.” – SAnews.gov.za
