KWAZULU-NATAL Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane. Picture: Supplied
DURBAN - PREMIER Sihle Zikalala welcomed the findings by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) into 29 deaths that occurred shortly after vaccination. Investigations found that the deaths were not related or linked to the vaccination.
He said the province was vaccinating about 30 000 people daily, and in order to reach its target of 7.2 million doses by March 31, 2022, it needed to vaccinate at least 60 000 daily.
As of Saturday, the province had administered 1 745 719 first and second doses in the public and private sector (1 308 669 first doses and 437 050 second doses). Zikalala said he hoped Sahpra’s findings would encourage people to start coming back, in large numbers, to get vaccinated to achieve population immunity.
Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane dispelled rumours that the province had run out of vaccines. Simelane said that when the province was allocated vaccines from the national Health Department, they were not allocated to a specific district.
The provincial Health Department then decided how they would divide the vaccines among the 11 districts. She said each district had a different number of people. The eThekwini metro had more than 3 million people, followed by Umgungundlovu, King Cetshwayo, and others.
“If a district is vaccinated rapidly, it does not mean that when they run out of vaccines the programme is halted. Instead, more vaccine vials are fetched from other districts and the head office. Stocks are replenished on demand. We have vaccines in storage because, in certain areas, many people are hesitant to get vaccinated,” Simelane said.
She said there were instances where, if there was no vaccinating in hospitals, vaccinations were still taking place in a community hall or centre. Simelane added that people were sometimes hesitant, following reports that people had died immediately after being vaccinated.
“We saw a difference in numbers when rumours of the deaths were circulated. People were dragging their feet. Last week, there was excitement, an unknown buzz, because those aged 35 and above were willing to get vaccinated, and 18 years and above were asking when they were getting vaccinated. We are ready,” Simelane said.
Medical expert and South Africa’s first female heart surgeon Dr Susan Vosloo made controversial claims about Covid-19 vaccines in a video that was publicised on BitChute on August 10. Vosloo, from Netcare’s Christiaan Barnard Memorial Hospital, claimed that Covid-19 was the first medical condition to be “predominantly mismanaged not by knowledgeable people, but by politicians, bureaucrats, and academics”. She added that the disease was fuelled by “relentless scaremongering” by the media.
“The risk of the vaccine is worse than the risk of viruses. The composition of the vaccine is largely confidential. It’s like a trade secret and it’s not possible to share it with anyone.”
Netcare Hospital division managing director Jacques du Plessis said the sentiments expressed in the video were in complete contradiction to the unrelenting endeavours of Netcare, their clinical colleagues, health-care workers, and others, to try to curb the impact of the pandemic.
The video also contradicted the views of global institutions such as the World Health Organization.
Daily News