Health MEC clears up confusion over Pfizer jab interval
KwaZulu-Natal Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane-Zulu has moved to clarify the confusion among some elderly about the interval between the first and second doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine being administered in the Phase 2 rollout.
It was initially said the two shots should be administered within 21 days of each other.
But the World Health Organisation and the National Health Department have since issued guidelines, saying the period between the first shot and the second one can be extended to 42 days depending on supply.
Simelane-Zulu's spokesperson Noluthando Nkosi says this extension is being applied.
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"This so as to eliminate confusion among elderly people, especially when they arrive at our sites and get given a date that appears to be distant. We want to ensure that as many people as possible get the vaccine, so that they can benefit from it.
"We are also appealing to younger people who are techno-savvy to help the elderly with registration, and to staff at our health facilities to assist the elderly with registration when they get there."
The department says over 180 000 elderly people in the province have received a Covid-19 jab since the start of Phase 2 of the rollout.
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Thousands of over-60s have been queuing up daily at 108 vaccine sites in KZN for their first dose.
