COVID UPDATE BY JESSIE TAYLOR
Vaccine booster shots Bolstering South Africa’s Covid-19 response
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s South Africa begins to exit its fourth wave, citizens are encouraged to bolster their immunity against Covid-19 with booster shots. Evidence gathered during the fourth wave, driven by the Omicron variant, has shown the effectiveness of vaccines in reducing the risk of severe illness. With encouraging data emerging on vaccine effectiveness, Health Minister Dr. Joe Phaahla has reiterated that full vaccination of at least 70% of South Africa’s adult population remains the Department of Health’s “main priority”. ROLLING OUT ADDITIONAL PROTECTION The Department of Health has made booster shots available for the two COVID-19 vaccines available in South Africa. The booster shots have been approved by the South African
Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA). They are available two months after the first Johnson and Johnson (J&J) vaccination and six months after the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Booster doses are the same vaccine in the same dose administered to people who have had a primary vaccination series and are administered to allow the body to boost its immunity to the COVID-19 virus. Those in older age groups will be the first to qualify for their booster shots, as they were the first to receive jabs during the initial rollout of the vaccination programme. According to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases of South Africa (NICD), vaccines have been shown to reduce severe disease and mortality from COVID-19 by up to 95 to 97%.
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“This life-saving effect has continued, even as variants have emerged. Taking a vaccine will protect you and your loved ones from a devastating illness or death,” the NICD says. “Booster vaccination with the J&J or Pfizer vaccine is a reliable and safe way of increasing antibody levels.”
There is unequivocal evidence that vaccines protect against severe illness and death Those eligible for a booster shot will not be sent an SMS from the health department, as with their primary vaccination. Instead, they will need to present themselves at any vaccination site for their additional dose. However, their Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS)
