Health Dept expecting busier vaccine sites as teens take the jab

South Africa

Johannesburg – Children between the ages of 12 and 17 can, from Wednesday, line up for a Covid-19 vaccine.

Health Minister Joe Phaahla made the announcement last week that government was ready to expand South Africa’s mass inoculation programme to also include this cohort.

Medical experts have reiterated the importance of including this group as part of the country’s mass immunisation drive.

Dr. Samukeliso Dube of the AfroCentric Group, urged parents to educate their children on the importance of Covid-19 vaccination.

“Children should have broad urgency because they have to make decisions on whether they want to do this or not. They should be active participants, in other words they should not be forced to get into that space and we do want to ensure that children also do have a voice.”

Dube said that Covid-19 vaccines were safe.

“Even if you get the one jab, your immunity levels should improve significantly.”

Government said that this cohort would initially receive one shot of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine while they awaited data on whether to administer the second dose of the vaccinations schedule.

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