- It has taken South Africa more than three months to reach the 1 million, mark but the rollout of Covid-19 vaccines is now picking up pace.
- Of the 40 million people targeted for the country to reach heard immunity, 1.2% had been fully vaccinated by 1 June.
- KwaZulu-Natal is leading the charge, with at least 2.3% of the province’s population having received at least one dose of a two-dose Covid-19 vaccine.
- Mpumalanga, on the other end of the scale, has only managed to administer doses to 0.8% of its population.
South Africa’s vaccine rollout has passed an important milestone by reaching more than one million people at the start of June. As the daily number of doses administered picked up – after a dismally low levels between February and May – the health department has released its first provincial breakdown of cumulative jabs.
By Wednesday 2 June, a total of 1,117,569 Covid-19 vaccine doses had been administered as part of South Africa’s phased rollout which aims to attain herd immunity (by inoculating 67% of the population) by May 2022. To vaccinate 40 million people within this time frame, South Africa’s public and private healthcare facilities will need to average a daily tally of 120,000 doses.
Although South Africa has tripled its number of daily doses administered since the first week of Phase 2 of the rollout began on 17 May, the current average of 10,644 jabs a day is still far off the mark.
A total of 479,768 healthcare workers were the first to receive their Covid-19 vaccines as part of the Sisonke Programme, which was implemented as a real-world trial to fast-track the use of the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) jabs.
The use of the single-dose J&J vaccine, which is currently suspended while awaiting approval from US regulators, has fully vaccinated 1.2% of the targeted population and just 0.8% of the total population.
The number of Pfizer doses, which currently underpin South Africa’s rollout and is being administered to the priority group of senior citizens in Phase 2, accounts for 1.6% of the targeted population and 1% of the entire population. Those who have received their Pfizer jabs are not, however, considered fully vaccinated and still need to receive their second dose 42 days after getting their first.
In total, 1.9% of South Africa’s population has received at least one vaccine dose since the rollout began.
Using vaccination data gathered by midnight on Tuesday 1 June – when the number of confirmed cumulative vaccinations was 1,045,104 – the health department published a provincial breakdown of doses administered to date.
Here is how each province has done.
Gauteng – 271,819 doses administered; 1.75% of the population
More vaccine doses have been administered in Gauteng than any other province in the country. Of the 271,819 jabs, 46% of these were administered to healthcare workers during the Sisonke Programme.
Approximately 15.5 million people live in Gauteng, according to Statistics South Africa. Vaccines have reached 1.75% of the province’s total population. Gauteng is due to activate some 734 vaccination sites within the coming months, according to the department of health’s rollout plan.
The province has recorded 764,544 registrations on the Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS).
KwaZulu-Natal – 264,389 doses administered; 2.3% of the population
A quarter of all jabs already administered in South Africa have been dispensed in KwaZulu-Natal. Of the 264,389 doses, 35% were administered as part of the Sisonke Programme. Of the province’s total population of 11.5 million people, 2.3% have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
KwaZulu-Natal is scheduled to have 840 active vaccination sites – more than any other province – by the time Phase 3 of the rollout kicks in.
KwaZulu-Natal has recorded 593,706 registrations on the EVDS.
Western Cape – 144,285 doses administered; 2% of the population
The Western Cape has administered roughly 13.8% of all jabs recorded in South Africa. A total of 91,765 doses – or 63.6% – of these doses were administered to healthcare workers during the Sisonke Programme. With a total population of 7 million, the percentage of people living in the Western Cape who have received at least one dose of the vaccine stands at 2%.
The province has recorded 481,732 registrations on the EVDS.
Eastern Cape – 114,592 doses administered; 1.7% of the population
Of the 114,592 vaccine doses administered in the Eastern Cape, more than half were given to healthcare workers as part of the Sisonke Programme. The province has a total population of around 6.7 million people, of which 1.7% have received at least one vaccine dose.
The Eastern Cape has recorded 437,686 registrations on the EVDS.
Limpopo – 92,925 doses administered; 1.6% of the population
A total of 92,925 jabs have been administered in Limpopo, of which 35% are allocated to the Sisonke Programme. Out of a total population of 5.8 million, 1.6% of people in the province have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
Limpopo has recorded 392,433 registrations on the EVDS.
North West – 54,904 doses administered; 1.3% of the population
Of the 54,904 vaccine doses administered in the North West province, 42% of these were completed as part of the Sisonke Programme. The province has a total population of 4.1 million, with just 1.3% having received at least one dose of the vaccine.
The province has recorded 174,420 registrations on the EVDS.
Free State – 48,074 doses administered; 1.6% of the population
A total of 48,074 doses have been administered in the Free State, with half of these forming part of the Sisonke Programme. With a total population of 2.9 million, 1.6% of people in the province have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
The Free State has recorded 124,887 registrations on the EVDS.
Mpumalanga – 38,924 doses administered; 0.8% of the population
Less than 3.5% of the national tally of total vaccines administered have been recorded in Mpumalanga. Of the 38,924 doses, more than half were administered to healthcare workers as part of the Sisonke Programme. The province has a total population of 4.7 million, with just 0.8% of people receiving at least one vaccine dose.
Mpumalanga has recorded 143,460 registrations on the EVDS.
Northern Cape – 15,192; 1.2% of the population
The Northern Cape has recorded the lowest number of jabs in the country, accounting for less than 1.5% of doses administered in South Africa. Of these, 61% were administered during the Sisonke Programme. The most sparsely populated province in the country, the Northern Cape has a population of 1.3 million people, of which 1.2% have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
The Northern Cape has recorded 43,047 registrations on the EVDS.
(Compiled by Luke Daniel)
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