Coronavirus: South Africa vaccination campaign covers third of adult population

Pretoria, South Africa (PANA) - About a third of all adults in South Africa have received at least one Covid-19 vaccination dose, according to the Department of Health, which said on Monday 19,041,535 vaccines had been administered to 13,466,483 people or 33 per cent of the total adult population.

To date, 9,911,989 people are fully vaccinated (25 per cent of the adult population). More than  1.1 million people received their vaccines over the last week, the department said.

The Western Cape is leading the vaccination drive, with almost 43 per cent of the adult population in the province having received at least one dose.

In the Eastern Cape and Limpopo, almost 39 per cent of the adult population received at least one jab. In the Free State, the percentage stands at 38 per cent.

More than 60 per cent of those aged 60 and older have received at least one jab, while 52 per cent of those aged 50 to 59 have received at least one dose. People in these age cohorts face an increased risk of developing severe illnesses, hospitalization and death.

The government aims to vaccinate 70per cent of all adults by the end of December.

South Africans have been urged to get their first vaccination doses before 20 October to ensure that they are fully vaccinated by the start of the festive season.

-0- PANA AR/RA 11Oct2021