[imagesource: Trialsetnews]

On Monday, one million COVID-19 vaccine doses, developed by AstraZeneca and supplied by India’s Serum Institute, touched down in South Africa, where they were met with the usual fanfare that we’ve come to expect whenever politicians are afforded a chance to show off.

Following the arrival of the vaccines, and while we wait for the various checks to take place before it’s distributed, the national government has launched its electronic vaccination data system (EVDS).

Our frontline healthcare workers are first in line, but the system still allows everyone to register their details, although at this stage the general public is encouraged to refrain from doing so.

On Monday, President Ramaphosa said, as reported by TimesLIVE, that the system will be used not only to enrol vaccinees (as they’re calling then on the data system) but to track who receives the jab and where.

“The Department of Health has developed an Electronic Vaccine Data System to streamline the vaccine registration and rollout process. This will allow us to capture all relevant data associated with the administration of the vaccine,” Ramaphosa said. “This system allows a person to make an appointment as soon as they qualify for a vaccination at the vaccine centre closest to them. The system will record vaccinations as they are administered,” he added.

Step one is heading to the government’s Electronic Vaccination Data System, where you’ll find this landing page.

Enter your ID or Passport Number and then follow the prompts:

Image: Department of Health, Electronic Vaccination Data System

Personal information (your name and Identity Number/ Passport Number) will be used to verify and confirm your eligibility as a COVID-19 vaccine beneficiary, according to the priority phases as defined in the COVID-19 National Vaccination Plan.

That is as follows:

Image: SA Coronavirus website

In the steps that follow you will have to provide your name, medical aid details, residential address, email address, and phone numbers, including mobile numbers so that you can receive messages, appointment dates, and alerts for the second dose of the vaccine.

You’ll also need to choose the vaccination facility closest to you.

When you arrive for your vaccine you will need to present your ID or passport. For healthcare workers who qualify for the first phase of the vaccine rollout, you’ll also need to show proof of employment from your primary employer, along with the location of your work.

A few people who don’t work in healthcare have already tried to game the system and failed.

Someone who is not a health-care worker will receive an sms which partially reads: “Currently, self-registration is only available for health-care workers. Should you be eligible for vaccination, you will be contacted via SMS regarding next steps.”

We assume that the process will be similar for the second and third phases. As you can see from the screengrab of the landing page, the information that you need to find out if you qualify is clearly outlined at the top of the page, so keep an eye on it as more vaccines arrive in South Africa.

You’ll find more detailed information, on the SA Coronavirus website.

[sources:evds&sacoronaviruswebsite&timeslive]