Dear B4SA and business colleagues,
We are concerned that daily vaccination numbers have been dropping off. We have sufficient vaccination supply and capacity to vaccinate in excess of 300,000 people a day, but the past week or two have seen our numbers falling well below that target.
There are a number of factors constraining take-up: lack of trust and lack of access are just two such factors, and we also know that different sections of society trust different authority figures, and find different arguments persuasive. Solving for these, and generating demand, therefore, requires a multi-pronged approach.
We know that South African leaders and institutions widely support vaccination, but many people are unaware of this, and that an effective demand strategy must mobilise social partners – government and politicians, labour, business, faith-based organisations, traditional authorities, and civil society – to create practical partnerships at all levels.
For this we need clear, public leadership to set the tone for society and their respective institutions: no single entity can do this alone. Every major constituency needs to see that “all of society” supports vaccination, and that getting a vaccination is not only a normal, accepted practice – but an important responsibility for the good of everyone in our country.
Read more: B4SA weekly update 28 September 21