Johannesburg - Pharmaceutical giants Clicks have added 60 more vaccination sites in the country, with 30 added to Gauteng alone.
This takes Clicks vaccination sites to 120 in the country. They said they were hopeful that a further 180 sites would be approved in the next few weeks.
Clicks said it had vaccinated just over 35 000 since it started offering the service in May when it was initially given approval for 47 vaccination sites.
Of the group’s vaccination sites, 30 are in Gauteng, 27 in the Western Cape, 21 in KZN, 13 in the Eastern Cape, 9 in Limpopo, 6 in Mpumalanga and Free State, and 4 in North West and the Northern Cape.
The new vaccination sites come as South Africa is gripped by the third wave, which has seen infections rising exponentially, particularly in Gauteng.
As of Thursday, South Africa recorded over 16 000 new infections and 148 daily deaths, taking active cases of 141 000 infections in the country.
Clicks managing executive Vikash Singh said they were committed to open as many vaccination sites as possible, particularly in Gauteng.
“With the third wave hitting Gauteng especially hard, we continue working closely with the National Department of Health to open as many sites as possible in Gauteng and the rest of the country.
“It is critical to ensure that we get as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible, especially in the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal in the next three to four weeks before cases start to peak.
“We are encouraged by the pipeline of stock that will become available and expect to open a further 180 sites across South Africa in the coming weeks.
“We have also prioritised setting up sites at stores in areas that have limited access to vaccines,” he said.
Singh said Clicks had a target of eventually servicing 30 100 people per day, six days per week, after reaching their target of 602 sites.
“Vaccination saves lives and is critical in building herd immunity and halting this disease. Everyone needs to play their part in helping the elderly and more vulnerable citizens get registered. If you know someone who is eligible for vaccination, please help them register on the EVDS system without delay so they can be protected,” said Singh.
Clicks said members of the public needed to register through the government’s EVDS system, and walk-ins were not accepted.
“Now is not the time to let your guard down. Stay safe and remember the basics, even if you have been vaccinated. Wear a mask, wash or sanitise your hands regularly, practise social distancing and avoid close contact with people who are ill.
“To all the front-line workers who are working tirelessly to implement the vaccine roll-out across South Africa, we thank you for your hard work and dedication,” said Singh.
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