President Cyril Ramaphosa and his cabinet might be first in line to receive the Covid-19 vaccine jab.
As the first batch of the Covid-19 vaccine arrived in the country yesterday, deputy director-general of health Dr Anban Pillay, who has been directly involved in the vaccine procurement drive, said there's been a recommendation that the political leadership get vaccinated first to reassure the public.
Pillay, speaking during an interview on SABC’s MorningLive, said: “Before healthcare workers receive the vaccine many may want to get the assurance that leadership has brought a vaccine that is effective and safe.
“So there’s been recommendations that they take the vaccine publicly.
“We certainly would want our leaders to vaccinate publicly so that everybody has confidence that this vaccine is effective and safe as well and we would encourage that.
“I think that when our leaders vaccinate publicly it sends a very strong message.”
As per government vaccine roll-out strategy, ministers, members of Parliament, politicians, national and councillors fall under the essential workers category, which will be targeted in the second phase.
Monday, Ramaphosa and Deputy President David Mabuza, who chairs the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Vaccines, received South Africa’s first consignment of the Covid-19 vaccine from the Serum Institute of India (SII) at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.
The vaccine doses is from pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca manufactured in India.
The country's first phase of vaccine roll out will be focused on giving its 1.5 million healthcare workers the jab.
Authorities aim to vaccinate 65% of the population of almost 60 million by December.