Health department urges South Africans to vaccinate

The Department of Health has confirmed that South Africa will experience a fourth Covid-19 wave.

Dr Nicholas Crisp, the department’s Deputy Director-General, said it is not yet known ‘when or which variant or how severe it will be’.

“There will be a fourth wave, and we have to protect ourselves by vaccinating.”

Crisp was speaking at a media briefing on Friday on government’s efforts in the fight against Covid-19 and the progress on the national vaccination roll-out programme.

“We are disappointed that Covid-19 vaccination registrations are decreasing.

“The daily registration yesterday was only 53 379. The total registration so far is 9 237 340.

“The age group of 35 to 49 years had a good start, but has not sustained interest,” he said.

By the end of December, the country needs to have vaccinated 28 million people.

According to the statistics for Covid-19 registrations, 3 035 017 people in the age group 35 – 49 years old have registered; 1 929 586 have registered in the 50 – 59 year age group.

In the above 60 age group, 3 459 374 have registered for the vaccine, and 813 363 health workers have registered.

‘Individuals who have been vaccinated amount to 7 249 045, and of those individuals 3 958 231 have been fully vaccinated,’ said Crisp.