Over 40 000 vaccine doses lost during unrest - Kubayi
South Africa lost a total of 47 500 Covid-19 vaccine doses due to the recent looting and unrest in the country.
The figure was confirmed by acting Health Minister Mamoloko Kubayi on Friday.
In a media briefing on progress made by the health sector in fighting the Covid-19 virus, Kubayi said the doses were lost during vandalism of private facilities.
"At the height of unrest there were disruptions in all areas of the health service delivery system. There was a decrease in the number of vaccinations due to the closure of vaccination sites.
"An estimated 120 private pharmacies were destroyed which led to a loss of approximately 47 500 vaccine doses and loss of damages to infrastructure that supports the healthcare system," said Kubayi
Most public vaccine sites were not damaged.
Kubayi said this allowed the sector to quickly resume with vaccinations, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal.
South Africa has surpassed the peak of the third wave, but Kubayi has warned that the recent unrest and gatherings may result in a surge of cases.
She said people who were involved in the looting should get tested if they experience any symptoms.
A total of 6 million South Africans have been vaccinated to date.
Kubayi said while this is a big milestone for the country, based on population numbers, the number is still too low, and they are working on different measures to increase the numbers of people getting vaccinations daily.
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