Health Department: Covid-19 vaccinations will be free of charge

Health Minister Zweli Mkhize announced on Wednesday evening that the first one million doses of the vaccine will arrive in the country on Monday.

Thulare said insured healthcare workers will be covered by their medical aid, while the vaccinations of the 32.9million uninsured workers will be funded by government.

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Thulare said vaccinations are a public good.

“We've already declared the vaccination for Covid-19 as a prescribed minimum benefit, which means [medical] schemes are obliged to pay for this service," she said. 

"Schemes will be expected to pay directly to those that are providing [vaccination] services, whether it's hospitals, community pharmacies, general practitioners, or whatever mechanism that we are going to be using to provide that service.”

She said the public sector would be the preferred provider of the vaccination.

Thulare said private providers would purchase the vaccines at a “single exit price” from government. 

Dispensers may decide to charge an additional fee depending on the price of the medicine. However, the vaccination would be free.