First batch of Covid-19 jabs to land in SA this afternoon
South Africans wait with baited breaths as the first consignment of Covid-19 vaccines are expected to land on home soil at 3pm on Monday.
The consignment will be received by President Cyril Ramaphosa and Deputy President David Mabuza at the O.R Tambo International Airport.
Mabuza is the Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Vaccines.
They will be joined by Health Minister Zweli Mkize and other ministerial dignitaries that include the High Commissioner of the Republic of India Jaideep Sarkar will represent the country of origin of the first vaccine to be rolled out in South Africa.
The first jabs left India - from the Serum Institute of India (SII) – on a flight via Dubai yesterday.
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Acting spokesperson in the presidency, Tyrone Seale, says this will officially mark the start of the vaccine rollout which President Ramaphosa describes as the largest and most complex logistical vaccine undertaking in South Africa’s history.
"The scale of delivery is unprecedented in terms of the number of people who have to be reached within a short space of time," says Seale.
The first phase of this rollout programme will prioritise around 1.2 million frontline health workers which is the first step to achieving herd immunity.
"Tomorrow’s arrival event will be brief, with dignitaries witnessing airline, airport, health, customs and security personnel perform their duties of ensuring that the vaccine consignment is cleared and securely transported to its cold-room destination,” adds Seale.
