- The health department says medical schemes and the state will pay the R70 fee on behalf of consumers.
- Dis-Chem and Clicks are two of the private pharmacies offering Covid-19 vaccines.
- Phase 2 of the government's vaccine rollout begins on Monday.
The Department of Health (DOH) says no one will be left out of pocket, whether people choose to get the Covid-19 vaccine at state facilities or from private providers, such as Dis-Chem and Clicks.
On Thursday, the department announced that, over and above the cost of the vaccine, there would be a R70 administration fee for people getting the jab in the private sector.
Now, the DOH has clarified that, while private sector vaccine administrators, like Dis-Chem, will charge R70, the medical schemes or the state will foot the bill for that cost.
Dis-Chem said it would have 11 mass vaccination sites from 24 May, as part of Phase 2 of the government's Covid-19 vaccine rollout for people over 60, people with comorbidities, and essential workers with high-risk jobs. It would also start offering the vaccine in its 280 clinics across the country at a later stage.
On Friday, Clicks announced that the DOH had given it the green light to offer the vaccine in 47 sites across the country. The pharmacy group is awaiting approval for 520 more sites.
Clicks said it would offer the vaccine as per the DOH supply, starting with the Pfizer vaccine at selected Clicks Pharmacies.
People who have registered on the department's Electronic Vaccination Data System's online portal will receive a text message with a vaccination voucher, which they can present at Clicks' vaccination sites determined by the DOH.
The texts will have all the details about the vaccination site allocated to, and the appointment time.
But Clicks said medical aid members need to contact their schemes to confirm payment options, ahead of the appointment.
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