Music trucks, social influencers and pop-up mobile vaccination vans are part of the arsenal health officials in the province are deploying to address vaccine hesitancy in the Western Cape.
On his first visit to the Western Cape on Friday, Minister of Health Dr Joe Phaahla, said he was pleased with the provincial government’s plans to deal with the prolonged third wave.
Phaala was at GrandWest Casino visiting a vaccine site to accommodate those in the hospitality industry as well as residents from neighbouring communities and factories.
Phaahla said vaccine hesitancy could only be combated by taking vaccines to the people.
“The carrot at the end of the stick we tell people is if they turn up now for vaccines we will have a better festive season … it is a promise.
“And it can be done, many more people can go back to work in 2022 and we can get population immunity,” he said.
While areas like Overberg and Klipfontein have been praised for registering the highest figures for its 60 plus residents, areas like Mitchells Plain and the Central Karoo lag far behind with rates below 50%.
Since the week of July 5 the province has been working on a target to administer 120 000 vaccines per week.
A target that has been exceeded for five weeks, at 140 000.
But from August 9 the figures dipped again to 123 713.
It is unclear whether the province will reach this current week’s target of 180 000 jabs before it moves on to a 20 000 target from August 23.
While the province seems to be doing well in the majority of its rural districts and sub-districts in the metro, Mitchells Plan and the Central Karoo continue to lag behind with registration and vaccinations.
In Mitchells Plain figures show that only 34.7% of the 60 plus population has been vaccinated, in the 50-59 age group 22.4% and of the 138 907 people between the ages of 25 -49 only 10.3% have been vaccines.
In the Central Karoo only 39.4% of the 60 plus population were vaccinated, 34.9% of the 50 to 59 year olds , around 34.9% have been vaccinated and of the 11 848 people in the 35 to 49 age group, only 18.9%.
“The vaccine apathy in the country is worrisome, especially with the epidemiologist warning us of the fourth wave that is coming.
“We are appealing for people to not sit on their hands and do nothing.
“We have to come up with innovative ways to get to people, we have explored pop-up buses (especially in rural farms), we also have at the mall,” said MEC of Health Nomafrench Mbombo.
“We are coming up with other vaccination sites that are non-medical.
“We are also bringing music trucks to attract the over 18 group, with the young people (we know) they don’t like going to the mainstream health system.
“The Mew Way hall in Khayelitsha could attract many young people.
“I will go to the clubs in Long Street and bring the jabs there.
“Rands in Khayelitsha made an offer that people may need to show that they have been jabbed or even doing jabs there.”
Mbombo said it was crucial to not “get excited” about the younger cohort coming into the system and forget about the vulnerable groups.
Tomorrow and Tuesday, Mbombo will be in the Central Karoo to try and ramp up vaccine enthusiasm.
“We are going to Leeu-Gamka and we are bringing the music truck, have you ever thought you can have a music truck in Merweville (Beaufort West).
“It worked in some in attracting many people,” she said.
Head of Health Dr Keith Cloete said the challenges in Central Karoo was a combination of vaccine hesitancy where prominent community leaders held an anti-vaccine stance as well as the vastness of the area which has limited access to health.
The mayoral committee member for community services and health, Zahid Badroodien said the challenges in Mitchells Plain was misinformation.
“I went to Town Centre and spoke to shop-keepers, stall owners to find out what the issues were and was told that there was a pastor in the area everyday who preached the anti-vaccine message and because our people cannot be everywhere, all the time this message stuck,” he said.
“We are working to ramp up our campaign in Mitchell’s Plain. We are going to have Environment Health Practitioners going in, we will be working with social influencers who have taken the vaccine to speak to people about the benefits of getting vaccinated and bring in more community ambassadors to go door to door and reach our people.”
Health expert Dr Jo Barnes warned limited resources was a challenge to combat vaccine hesitancy.
“The Western Cape is faring better than most in this regard, but vaccine hesitancy is not only driven by what the authorities do or don’t do.
“Many people admit that they should get vaccinated but then they don’t put that attitude into action.
“While various groups are influenced by antivax campaigns,” she added.
“Those who vehemently oppose vaccination are actually not a large group but they are very loud and insistent in their opinions.
“They influence others to join their movement and so empower them to continue with their crusade.
“Innovative ways of taking vaccines to the people will greatly improve our vaccination rate.
“Overberg district, for instance, has started offering vaccines in supermarket parking lots.
“Take the vaccines to the people while they are doing their daily business.”
“The (Central Karoo) region has been hard hit by the drought, its economy is deeply damaged and the resources in this vast but sparsely populated area are low.
“Perhaps mobile vaccination clinics can be brought in to take the vaccines to the people, but this will have to be preceded by a well thought out education campaign otherwise it will fail.”
Weekend Argus