Government together with the private sector are set to begin the vaccine roll out on May 17 to ensure that the process is seamless and successful.
This was after the rollout had been halted to verify whether the vaccine causes blood clots. Last month six women had developed blood clots after receiving the Johnson and Johnson vaccine in the US.
South African researchers and doctors worked tirelessly to ensure that over 200 000 inoculated health care workers under the Sisonke Protocol were not affect by this rare blood clotting and indeed no blood clotting disorders had occurred.
One of the key players to the rollout is Business for South Africa (B4SA). B4SA is an alliance of South African volunteers working with the government and social partners to mobilise business resources and capacity to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. In its current form, B4SA is focused on supporting the government-led national vaccine programme with an ultimate objective of reducing, and eventually removing the impact of the pandemic and returning to a fully functional economy.
The Chairperson of B4SA’s steering committee, Martin Kingston said; “what we have done is made sure that we mesh the work and that does not mean that as the private sector we did not need to formulate our own position. But, in the interest of ensuring that we can achieve the rollout of phase 2.”
The private sector says it has the capability to vaccinate about 163,000 people per day, which will assist the department of health immensely.
How the private sector has come on board for the vaccination rollout;
- B4SA has mobilised all of business’s capabilities and resources: private healthcare and employer sectors to assist in the rollout.
- Both government and B4SA private sector vaccination sites are configured, capacitated, certified and vaccinators are being trained.
- The country’s leading private sector medical and business experts, have volunteered to manage as well as run B4SA’s programme and are working 24/7 to contribute to a successful, overall national vaccination rollout.
- The distribution of fact-checked information to citizens is prioritised.
- B4SA is also working closely with government departments, labour, civil society, faith-based organisations, NGOs and the Solidarity Fund on ensuring that ongoing communication reaches all.
Brand South Africa applauds the private sector for playing their part in the fight against COVID-19. The success of the vaccine rollout can only be gained through this type of collaboration where all stakeholders work together as one.
Additional sources: www.businessforsa.org ; www.businesstech.co.za; www.nicd.ac.za
