MKHIZE: GOVT WILL REVEAL COVID VACCINE ROLLOUT PLANS WHEN MORE BATCHES ARRIVE

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize held a virtual briefing on Wednesday to launch the Electronic Vaccine Data System portal.

FILE: Health Minister Zweli Mkhize . Picture: Boikhutso Ntsoko/Eyewitness News.

Graig-Lee  Smith 

CAPE TOWN - Government said it would reveal its COVID-19 vaccine rollout plans when the batches arrive in the country, adding that the Electronic Vaccine Data System portal was now live.

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize held a virtual briefing on Wednesday to launch the system.

The platform is opened to all South Africans willing to get vaccinated.

Mkhize said this would go a long way to help determine what infrastructure was needed for the rollout.

More than 38,000 healthcare workers have already registered.

Phase one of the vaccine rollout is expected to immunise one million healthcare workers.

They are the only people who are able to register during the first phase.

Mkhize said they included doctors, nurses, frontline staff, cleaners, security personnel and medical students.

“We still have a few days before the vaccination programme starts. So, there will be new information that will come later, some of the questions that we don't answer now we will do later.”

The COVID-19 immunisation drive is expected to begin in the middle of this month.