[imagesource: Wits University]

Don’t worry, we’re all tired of hearing about COVID-19 and vaccines and impending third waves and everything else that has dominated the news over the past year and a bit.

The countdown to the next fake voicenote doing the rounds, probably to do with alcohol sales, is well underway.

We are at the stage now, though, where members of the public are finally eligible to receive a vaccine, so some basics are worth going over.

At this stage, healthcare workers and people over the age of 60 are eligible in Phase 2, which kicked off on Monday, although healthcare workers technically fall into what has been dubbed Phase 1b.

According to Business Day, this phase will see around 500 000 healthcare workers being vaccinated, and there are an estimated 5,5 million people over the age of 60 in South Africa, for a total of six million.

We have covered how to register in detail, and here’s more on when you’ll be getting that jab:

At a date and time selected by the electronic vaccination data system (EVDS). The Western Cape government says people who have registered will receive an SMS with their appointment date and place within the next two to three weeks.

Healthcare non-governmental organisation Right to Care says appointments are allocated by the EVDS on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Yeah, there’s the kicker.

‘First-come-first-serve’, which is spelt out in more detail on The Daily Maverick:

The EVDS follows the rule “first in, first out”: So those who registered first, will get appointments first. In other words, if you fall in the people of 60 years and older category, and you’re 80, but registered after someone who is 65, the person who is 65 will get an appointment before you.

However, this does not apply to the broader roll-out plan, where age is, in fact, a factor: People of 60 and older are vaccinated before people who are 40 and older, and although these two groups both fall into Phase 2 of the roll-out, people of 60 and older are served first.

Currently, under Phase 2, it’s only adults over 60 (and healthcare workers) who are eligible for the vaccine, although Phase 2 will start vaccinating those aged 40 and older from July 2021.

Essentially, if you (or a parent) are on the fence about being vaccinated, now is as good a time as any to open a dialogue on that front.

The longer you, or they, wait, the further down the ‘first-come-first-serve’ list one will fall.

The problems with our slow vaccine rollout efforts are well documented, so best get cracking on that front.

If you’re not a healthcare worker, or person of 60 and older, you cannot register until the health department announces that the next category (people living in crowded environments such as prisons, and people of 40 and older) can do so.

Anybody who goes for a vaccine is required to bring an identity document or passport, and if you received the Pfizer/BioNTech shot (currently the only one available to non-healthcare workers), you will get an appointment for your second dose.

For those who miss their vaccination appointment, or if the site is unable to administer the vaccine on that day, there are plans in place for a follow-up:

The short answer: The EVDS will automatically reschedule you for the next appointment and send you an SMS with a date.

The longer version: The EVDS has an algorithm that will detect if you missed an appointment (because a vaccinator wouldn’t have confirmed your vaccination by entering your voucher number into the system) and then reschedule you — but only for up to two times…

If you missed two appointments, you will have to re-register on the system.

I would be prioritising the appointment.

You can find more answers to frequently answered questions here.

[sources:busday&dailymaverick]