- The Limpopo government says the 44 526 doses allocated to it will be rolled out from 15 February 2021.
- Authorities are concerned about vaccine scepticism from residents in the largely rural province.
- The province has enough storage for the vaccines, but says it may have a challenge when drugs have to be kept cool at low temperatures.
The Limpopo government on Thursday presented its Covid-19 vaccine rollout plan, which involves the first 44 526 doses.
It also had a stern warning with regard to the third wave.
Health authorities are increasingly concerned about the number of people who remain sceptical about being vaccinated.
Limpopo is a largely rural province, where traditional beliefs are embedded.
Health MEC Phophi Ramathuba told the media that authorities were engaging with different influential structures in the province to convince the population to be vaccinated.
"The third wave could be on the way and may be [more] devastating than the second wave. We are meeting with different structures," Ramathuba said.
She said the 44 526 doses allocated to the province will be rolled out from 15 February 2021.
For now, the province has enough storage for the drugs, but "may have challenges with certain drugs that require to be placed under certain temperatures".
She said the first doses allocated to the province was equivalent to the number of essential workers, as per the payroll system of the provincial government.
Worried
However, she remained worried that the number of doses did not include contracted security guards and other personnel in daily contact with patients at health facilities.
Given this, there is a shortfall of 6 000 doses, she said.
Premier Stan Mathabatha said 39 sites have so far been identified for the administering of doses, while governing structures for the rollout have already been set up.
The provincial executive management, however, remains the ultimate authority.
He said the rollout plan has been divided into three categories, targeting frontline workers in both public and private sectors, people over 60 years and those above 18 years with underlying illnesses, and then the public at large.
However, speaking on the vaccination of illegal immigrants, he said: "We are going to try to deploy people to border towns to capture these people, so that, at the end of the day, we know who is there.
"We can't now outright say we are in the position to vaccinate them. But, as a government that has a responsibility to its citizens, and we can't be ashamed of that, our responsibility is first to our own citizens.
"After dealing with our own citizens, and in terms of our Constitution, we will then cater for those who are not necessarily our nationals."