South Africans who want to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and are over the age of 60 can register through the electronic vaccination data system (EVDS) from 16:00 today.
The Department of Health’s chief director Dr Lesley Bamford said only people who registered on the system will be vaccinated. People without Internet access will be assisted with their registration.
Health Minister Zweli Mkhize said all steps of the vaccination process will be available through walk-in services where people will be helped to register.
“Those unable to self-register can visit walk-in centres and vaccination sites,” Mkhize said.
Bamford previously said online registration for all South Africans who want to receive vaccines will open on 16 April.
However, on Friday morning only healthcare workers and people over 60 were allowed to register. It is not clear whether this will change in the coming days.
People under the age of 60 who try to register are met with the message:
Please note that registration for vaccination is currently only open for those that are 60 years or older. Those under 60 years of age will be invited to register at a future date.
The Department of Health added that the system will be live at 16:00 today, and that it is only in demo mode now.
After a person has registered on the system and they become eligible to be vaccinated, they will receive an SMS with the date, time, and venue where they will receive the vaccine.
Bamford said there will be a range of public and private sector vaccination sites which include:
- Health facilities such as hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, and GP practices.
- Non-health sites such as schools, church halls, shopping centres and work-based occupational health sites.
When people present themselves at a site to receive the vaccine, there is a procedure which will be followed.
This procedure includes being tested for COVID-19, identification, and a consent process.
- COVID-19 screening – People who test positive for COVID-19 will not be allowed to receive the vaccine. They will be given an opportunity to be vaccinated later.
- Identification – Everyone will be required to provide proof of identity through an ID card, drivers’ licence, or equivalent. Medical aid members are requested to bring these details along.
- Consent – There is a short consent process and a few questions to make sure that there’s no contraindication.
- Post vaccine – After a person received the vaccine, they will be observed for 15 minutes.
- Follow-up – People will receive an SMS which confirms they have been vaccinated. If they require a second dose, they will receive a date for the second dose.
While the vaccination registrations are now open for all South Africans, the vaccines will only be rolled out later.
The new phase of South Africa’s vaccine rollout will begin on 17 May, Mkhize said.
He said this new vaccination phase should take six months and would therefore be wrapped up in October.
How to register
People who would like to register to be vaccinated should visit the electronic vaccination data system (EVDS) website.
The government explained the information submitted during registration will be used to identify eligible vaccination beneficiaries and to plan the supply of vaccines and ancillary items.
Residential data are needed to allocate beneficiaries to their nearest available service point while contact details will be used to communicate with people about the vaccination program.
To register, people need to have access to the Internet, their ID number or Passport, and general contact information, including a cellphone number.
Other required information includes your primary employer and location of work, professional registration details, and medical aid.
With all information at hand registration should take between 2 and 3 minutes.
The registration process is as follows:
- Visit the landing page and enter your South African ID Number.
- Enter your general information – name and surname, date of birth, gender, email address, and mobile number.
- Provide your employment and medical aid details if applicable.
- Select your primary location of work and health establishment (from a dropdown list).
- To complete the registration, accept the terms and conditions and click ‘Submit Registration’.
The final screen will confirm that your registration has been successful and you will receive an SMS notification confirming that your registration has been received by the EVDS.
Electronic vaccination data system (EVDS)
