The roll-out of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine has seen the Mpumalanga Department of Health (DoH) receiving a backlash from the public.

Since the launch of phase 2 on May 17, the community has raised their concerns on several issues; why it appeared as if the DoH was running out of doses at designated sites; why the public needed to queue for long periods of time; and why the were not prepared in advance.

The department said the public should be aware that if preparations were done in advance and the expected number of community members do not go to a specific site, the prepared doses would be discarded. The DoH spokesperson, Dumisani Malamule, said the preparation of the vaccine is done onsite and each vial is to be used within six hours after dilution.

“Pfizer is administered in two doses at 42 days’ interval. Before each person is vaccinated, vital signs are monitored to ensure that it is safe for them to be vaccinated. After receiving the vaccine, the patient’s vital signs are monitored again and any reaction to the vaccine is observed.

Then they are educated on possible side effects, which must be reported to the nearest health facility as soon as possible. The community members will then receive a reminder for the next scheduled appointment date for the second dose.”

According to Malamule, the Pfizer vaccine is kept on receipt in a temperature below 20 degrees Celsius. “It is removed to a temperature between two to eight degrees Celsius, where it can be stored for 42 days for its preparation. The vaccines are thawed in bulk so the communities would not have to wait for the thawing process,” he explained.

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“The elderly above 60 years and older are going to be prioritised in this phase due to their risk rating, then we move down the age groups. All citizens are expected to enrol in the Electronic Vaccination Data System for them to be able to access the vaccine.”

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The province is administering Pfizer vaccines at the following six vaccination sites: Rob Ferreira Hospital, Shongwe, Ermelo, Bethal, Middelburg and eMalahleni, including old age homes and outreach points within the catchment areas.