The government has a dedicated COVID-19 vaccine registration portal – Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS) and other methods.
Vaccination is voluntary and no payment is required.
Individuals have to register on the system to get an appointment.
South Africa continues to expand eligibility to residents to get vaccinated, and this comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that those between the ages 18-34 will be able to get their Covid-19 vaccines from the 1st of September 2021.
This will be in addition to the age groups that are currently eligible, which is everyone over 35 years of age.
โOur most effective weapon in the fight against COVID-19 is an effective and comprehensive vaccination programme,” said Ramaphosa during his address.
โWe are now administering more than 240,000 vaccines every week day.โ
โA month ago, this figure stood at around 100,000 vaccines per week day.โ
โAs a result, we have now administered more than 6.3 million vaccines, with over 10 per cent of our population having received a vaccine dose.โ
โIn the coming weeks, we will substantially increase the rate of vaccination.โ
โWe are increasing the number of vaccination sites and improving the vaccination registration system.โ
โWe will also increase our vaccination capacity on weekends.โ
The information below has been sourced from a national public health institute, The national institute for communicable diseases (NICD) available to residents. The information below is current as of Monday, 26 July 2021. Weโll update this guide with new information periodically if thereโs a need.ย
HOW TO REGISTER FOR THE COVID-19 VACCINE?
Online:ย vaccine.enroll.health.gov.zaย
WhatsApp:ย You can now register on the COVID Whatsapp number by sending โREGISTERโ to 0600 123 456.ย
USSD/SMS:ย You can also register by SMS by dialing *134*832*your ID number#ย
NO ID Number:ย If you donโt have an ID number just dial *134*832#.ย
Hotline:ย Call the COVID-19 hotline 0800 029 999.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE COVID-19 VACCINES?
A vaccine is intended to provide immunity against COVID-19. In general, vaccines contain weakened or inactive parts of a particular organism that triggers an immune response within the body. This weakened version will not cause the disease in the person receiving the vaccine, but it will prompt their immune system to respond. Some vaccines require multiple doses, given weeks or months apart. This is sometimes needed to allow for the production of long-lived antibodies and the development of memory cells. In this way, the body is trained to ๏ฌght the speci๏ฌc disease-causing organism, building up memory against the pathogen so it can ๏ฌght it in the future.
HOW DO VACCINES WORK?
A vaccine trains your immune system to recognize and combat viruses/bacteria. When exposed, antibodies are naturally produced by the immune system to fight the disease. If the bacteria or virus reappears, the immune system will remember how to respond and quickly destroy it.
HOW DO I KNOW IF VACCINES ARE SAFE?
Before a vaccine is introduced into the population, it must go through rigorous testing and clinical trials, where it is administered and monitored in groups of volunteers. Once a vaccine is shown to be safe and effective, it is approved by national regulators, manufactured to exacting standards, and distributed.
COVID-19 VACCINE SIDE-EFFECTS & IS IT NORMAL TO HAVE SIDE EFFECTS FROM VACCINES?
You may experience some mild side effects after getting vaccinated, which are signs that your body is building protection. Some people have no side effects. Yes, this is normal. Vaccines are designed to give you immunity without the dangers of getting the disease. Itโs common to experience some mild-to-moderate side effects when receiving vaccinations. This is because your immune system is instructing your body to react in certain ways: it increases blood flow so more immune cells can circulate, and it raises your body temperature in order to kill the virus.
WHAT ARE SOME COMMON SIDE EFFECTS OF THE COVID-19 VACCINE?
The most common side effects after vaccination are mild. They include:
- Pain, swelling, or redness where the vaccine was injected Mild fever
- Chills
- Feeling tired
- Headache
- Muscle and joint aches
HOW LONG COULD SYMPTOMS OR SIDE EFFECTS OF COVID-19 VACCINATION LAST?
The vaccine side effects should resolve within about 2 to 3 days of taking a COVID-19 vaccine. At most, those side effects can last up to a week.
SHOULD A PERSON TAKE THE SECOND DOSE IF THE FIRST DOSE CAUSED SIDE EFFECTS?
If the side effects following the first dose were mild or moderate, a person should have the second vaccination. However, if there was a severe allergic reaction to the first dose, then the second dose isnโt advisable. With that said, please discuss your options with your healthcare provider as each case would need to be carefully assessed.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ONCE YOUโVE BEEN VACCINATED?
Yes, individuals may still be at risk of contracting COVID-19, although the disease will likely be milder in comparison to those who are unvaccinated. More evidence is required to confirm whether COVID-19 vaccines provide protection against asymptomatic or mild disease. Presently it remains unclear whether vaccinated individuals can still spread the disease to others, therefore caution is still required.
You can browse further information on the NICD website – www.nicd.ac.za
