Johannesburg, 29 September 2021 – The private sector will be doing everything it can to support government’s first Vooma Vaccination Weekend being rolled out on Friday and Saturday, 1-2 October. About 1,000 private vaccination sites are open on Friday and more than 550 sites will open specially on Saturday.
“The private sector wants to make it as convenient as possible for the public to get vaccinated, in response to President Ramaphosa’s call to action,” says Martin Kingston, chair of the Business for South Africa (B4SA) steering committee. “Joining in with this valuable national initiative is a natural extension of our partnership with the National Department of Health to ensure that South Africans from all walks of life get their Covid-19 vaccinations as soon as possible.”
A list of the private vaccination sites that will be open on Saturday is available on the B4SA Website at [https://www.businessforsa.org/private-sector-vaccination-sites-4/].
“We urge South Africans to take advantage of the additional sites that will be open for their convenience on Saturday, and to turn up in numbers,” Kingston says. “If you have already been vaccinated, then bring your family and friends to get the jab. It will take an extraordinary effort from our already overstretched heathcare workers to keep the sites open. We owe it to them to do our part – which is to roll up our sleeves and get our jabs so we can be safe and all look forward to a much more normal way of life.”
Covid-19 compliant events will be held across the country, led by the president, premiers and mayors, who will be joined by sports personalities, musicians and other celebrities to drive a single message: that we can save 20,000 lives if we vaccinate 70% of adults by the end of the year.
“It’s heartening to see all of society turning out to support the drive, and the role that leaders in all sectors are taking to encourage and facilitate vaccination across the length and breadth of the country,” Kingston says.
Vaccination sites across both the private and public sectors will be open on the weekend, and members of the public who are as yet unvaccinated will be encouraged to visit their nearest sites and get jabbed, the goal being to administer 500,000 jabs over the course of the two days.
The NDoH will also be recognising high-performing sites and healthcare workers for their dedication and hard work with a series of awards. The NDoH is also driving public awareness using the hashtag #VoomaVaccination and a series of radio Public Service Announcements in South Africa’s official languages, among other media campaigns.
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