47 500 vaccine doses lost during unrest: Kubayi
The country lost 47 500 doses of the Covid-19 vaccine during the riots and looting sprees last week.
Acting Health Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi made the revelation on Friday.
She updated the country on the department's progress in the fight against the pandemic.
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She says a total of 120 private pharmacies were destroyed.
"These social unrests have added to the complexity of our fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, the violent nature of the protests unsettled the health care as a whole in the province of KwaZulu-Natal."
"At the height of the unrests, 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.
"There was loss of vaccines due to looting. An estimated 120 private pharmacies were destroyed, which led to a loss of approximately 47 500 vaccine doses and lots of damage to infrastructure.
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Kubayi added: "Fortunately, a large majority of public vaccination sites were not damaged, which means they could immediately resume vaccinating and that is what has happened."
