Over 200 000 people registered for vaccination programme - Pharmacy association

The Department of Health launched the programme on Friday.

The association's CEO Jackie Maimin says the registration process is running smoothly.

"What I can tell you is that the registration so far is going extremely well and yesterday morning, they were already over two hundred thousand people that registered on the electronic vaccine data system and it is going extremely well.

"What we are urging everybody is that people who do not have access to smartphone or internet, other people must assist them but so far we are very happy, the platform has been very stable, and we haven't heard any complaints."

People who turned 60 this year will be eligible to register for the mass vaccination programme.

Maimin added that the private sector is ready to start with the 2nd phase of the inoculations in May.

"Mass vaccination sites will have to be linked to a health facility such as a community pharmacy or an institutional pharmacy. The provinces and B4SA are looking at potential sites that include soccer stadiums, convention centers, and conferencing centers.

"We are looking at rolling out these vaccination sites for phase two and phase three which will probably start mid-end of May and we are still in discussion to set it up and looking up at costing, making sure that all health professionals and the public that are coming to be vaccinated are safe and the system flows appropriately."