South Africans urged to get jabbed to avoid festive season blues
Health Minister Joe Phaahla says South Africa can avoid a repeat of the last festive season's Covid-19 devastation, but only if people get vaccinated.
Phaahla is encouraging those who haven't yet received a jab to use this weekend's Vooma vaccination drive to get a shot.
He says towards the end of last year, the situation in the country was dire.
New infections started climbing in late November and shot up during the December holidays, with over 14 700 new cases reported during one of the 24-hour periods.
"We were deep into the second wave, with many people very sick in hospitals. Our health facilities were being overwhelmed at this time. We had to close beaches and other areas of entertainment because of the overwhelming nature of the second wave.
"So we are saying that if many South Africans can come forward to vaccinate, we will be able to make sure that we can save our country from these challenges."
Minister Phaahla says so far, 23 million vaccine doses have been administered in the country.
"By Monday, 15 November we'll have reached 40 percent of the adult population coverage with at least one dose of the vaccine.
"Full vaccination is just lagging behind the coverage with more than 13 200 000 individuals fully vaccinated at 33% of the adult population."
