Health department to provide transport to vaccination sites in selected provinces

THE Department of Health, in collaboration with civil society partners, will launch its Free Public Transport Pilot Project today for people, aged 50 years and above, to be transported to vaccination sites in selected provinces. This is part of the department’s efforts to ramp up vaccinations among this cohort.

“This follows an announcement by Minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla last week during the media briefing that the government has joined hands with various sectors of the society to make every possible effort to increase access to vaccines, which include taking vaccines to the people,” said Department of Health spokesperson, Popo Maja.

This pilot project will be rolled out in Gauteng, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal from today until Saturday, September 4.

“We have planned for about 25 000 people in the targeted areas to use this service during the pilot phase. Metropolitan/Momentum and Discovery have provided increased capacity at their mass vaccination sites for this purpose,” said Maja.

The results will be studied and analysed to make a determination for national rollout to allow for more vulnerable citizens in hard-to-reach areas to access the Covid-19 vaccine.

This new initiative will complement other existing interventions currently being rolled out in other parts of the country.

“We appeal to all older persons, including those who have already received their first doses in these areas, to make use of this free service to go to the vaccination sites in these areas to receive their life-saving jabs to protect themselves,” said Maja.