The latest on Covid-19: Voting day was ‘Covid-19 compliant’, and global syringe shortage could hamper Africa’s 2022 vaccination roll-out

Voting day declared free, fair and was Covid-19 compliant

[RECAP] 2021 Municipal Elections Results Announcement I IEC Chairperson Glen Mashinini declared #LGE2021 free and fair! pic.twitter.com/bampQLmeTR

— IEC South Africa (@IECSouthAfrica) November 5, 2021

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) did its part in ensuring voters, election officials and party representatives were safe on Election Day (November 1), by following the necessary protocols to avoid the spread of Covid-19. Mandatory mask-wearing was enforced at all polling stations, and those who failed to comply were refused entry.

Voters were required to sanitise before and after casting their votes, while the low voter turnout inadvertently helped with social distancing. There were few reports of safety measures concerns, and it was considered a safe voting experience for most.

Read the full report on Randburg Sun.

Looming global syringe shortage could hamper Africa’s vaccination roll-out

World Health Organisation Africa Regional Director Dr Matshidiso Moeti says Covax is working to secure agreements for the production of syringes as shortages loom. This is according to a report published by the South African Government News Agency earlier this week.

According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, the world faces a shortfall of ‘up to 2.2 billion auto-disable syringes’ for Covid-19 vaccination and routine immunisation in 2022.

Moeti says although Covid-19 vaccine shipments have increased on the continent, the looming threat of syringe shortages could ‘paralyse progress’ in the vaccination of communities.

Click here for more information.

Focus on getting senior citizens to vaccinate

Twenty-two million vaccinations have been administered in South Africa to date, and 12 million people have been fully vaccinated. However, the slow vaccine uptake by people aged 60 and above remains a concern. It is believed that four out of five deaths could be prevented during the next wave by increasing the number of vaccinations in people aged 60 and above.

In addition, people aged 60 and older who get their first Covid-19 vaccine in November, will automatically receive a R100 grocery voucher redeemable at Shoprite, Checkers or Usave supermarkets across the country.

For more details, click here.

Vooma vaccination drive to take place next weekend as citizens urged to get second jab

Another nationwide mass vaccination drive is set to take place next weekend (November 12–14). In the previous drive, government aimed to vaccinate 500 000 people. While this target was not met, a pleasing 353 819 people came out to receive their vaccines.

To read more on the initiative, click here.

Health officials vaccinated under the Sisonke Study to receive booster shots

The Department of Health and the South African Medical Research Council have announced that people who had the Johnson & Johnson vaccine will receive an invitation to receive a booster shot. The notification will be done via SMS on the number they used to enrol for the first part of the study. For more details, click here.