South Africa’s Response to COVID-19: Realities and Challenges of the Vaccination Roll-Out Process
In: The African ReviewAbstract
The paper provides a critical analysis of the South African government’s economic response to the COVID-19 crisis and the current roll-out of vaccinations in South Africa. In preparation for the vaccination roll-out, South Africa set up national strategic committees to facilitate the smooth distribution of the vaccination process. However, despite being one of the first African countries to receive the vaccines, the effective roll-out is still ranked low. The paper used qualitative descriptive analysis to discuss the strategies promoting community understanding and limiting vaccination misinformation. The findings project that the government must deliver an effective and protected vaccine to reduce morbidity and mortality from COVID-19. However, the mere accessibility of a vaccine is not enough to secure extensive immunological security; the immunisation must be accepted by all stakeholders and the public in the country. Vaccine uncertainty is a primary impediment to vaccine acceptance and the achievement of people’s immunity, which is mandatory to protect the marginalised populations in the country. The paper concludes that various strategic efforts made by the South Africa government to deal with the disease and the roll-out of vaccination in responding to COVID-19 remains a significant challenge. It then recommends that there should be a coordinated approach by both government and stakeholders to ensure effective distribution and reduce the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the country.
Purchase
Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):
Institutional Login
Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials
Personal login
Log in with your brill.com account
-
Al-Jayyousi, G. F., Sherbash, M. A. M., Ali, L. A. M., El-Heneidy, A., Alhussaini, N. W. Z., Elhassan, M. E. A., Nazzal, M. A. Factors Influencing Public Attitudes towards COVID-19 Vaccination: A Scoping Review Informed by the Socio-Ecological Model. Vaccines 2021, 9, 548. https://click.endnote.com/viewer?doi=10.3390%2Fvaccines9060548&token=WzMyOTUyMjMsIjEwLjMzOTAvdmFjY2luZXM5MDYwNTQ4Il0.X6TpeBzI-KbBufcwyVa2SA1Irng.
-
BusinessTech. (2021). Second Phase of South Africa’s Covid-19 Vaccinations to begin 17th May 2021. BusinessTech SA News 9th April 2021. Available at https://businesstech.co.za/news/government/481939/second-phase-of-south-africas-covid-19-vaccinations-to-beginon-17-may/ (Accessed 24th May 2021).
-
Business Insider SA (2021). SA just hit 300,000 vaccinations – at a rate slower than every neighbouring country. 30th April, 2021. Available at https://www.businessinsider.co.za/southafricas-vaccination-rate-in-context-2021-4 (Accessed 25th May 2021).
-
Bekhisisa Team 2021. 34.8% of SA adults have been fully vaccinated against COVID. Bhekisisa Center for Health Journalism. https://bhekisisa.org/resources/2021-07-12-covid-19-vaccinations-how-are-the-provinces-doing/.
-
Daley. J. (2021). Blood cloths and Jonson and Jonson vaccine: what we need to know so far. Scientific American, Newsletter.
-
de Villiers, C., Cerbone, D., and Van Zijl, W. The South African Government’s response to COVID-19 (2020). Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, forthcoming, The University of Auckland Business School Research Paper, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3750437.
-
Drake, J. (2021). Risk of covid-19 is greater than the blood cloth from the Jonson and Jonson. Forbes.
-
Dzimanarira, T., Nachipo, B., Phiri, B., and Mashuka, E. (2021). COVID-19 Vaccine Roll-Out in South Africa and Zimbabwe: Urgent Need to Address Community Preparedness, Fears and Hesitancy. Vaccines 2021, 9, (250). Pp. 1–10. Available at https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9030250.
-
Financial and Fiscal Commission (2021). Chapter 2. Implications of Covid-19 for South Africa’s Growth and Reconstruction Agenda. Financial and Fiscal Commission. https://ffc.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Chap2_Implications_of_Covid-19_for_South_Africas_growth_and_reconstruction_agenda_2.pdf (Accessed 23rd Nov 2021).
-
Gumede, V. (2020). Economic Policy in Post-apartheid South Africa. In De Jager, N. ed, South African Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
-
International Monetary Fund. (2020). World Development Indicators. International Financial Statistics. Available at: https://datacatalog.worldbank.org/public-licenses#cc-by.
-
International Monetary Fund. (2020). World Economic Outlook, IMF, April 2020. Washington DC: IMF.
-
Maluleke, R. (2020). Covid-19 Pandemic in South Africa: Demographic Volume. Statistics South Africa. Available at http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/Report%2000-8005/Report%2000-80-052020.pdf (Accessed 15th Apr 2021).
-
Mboweni, T. (2020). Supplementary budget review 2020. National Treasury.
-
Mokhoali, V. (2021). Government Looking to Introduce Vaccine Passports Soon – Ramaphosa. Eye witness. https://ewn.co.za/2021/09/13/govt-looking-to-introduce-vaccine-passports-ramaphosa.
-
Naude, W. and Cameron, M. (2020). Failing to Pull Together: South Africa’s Troubled Response to COVID-19. IZA Institute of Labor Economics.
-
Nicolson, G. (2021). Vaccination roll-out ‘too slow’ says Ramaphosa, announcing move to Level 1 lockdown. Daily Maverick. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-09-30-vaccination-roll-out-too-slow-says-ramaphosa-announcing-move-to-level-1-lockdown/.
-
OECD (2021). Enhancing Public Trust in COVID-19 Vaccination: The Role of Governments. November 2021. https://read.oecd-ilibrary.org/view/?ref=1094_1094290-a0n03doefx&title=Enhancing-public-trust-in-COVID-19-vaccination-The-role-of-governments&_ga=2.173421219.1490369387.1637746881-1724172704.1631025750.
-
Reuters (2020). “South Africa’s Ramaphosa pledges COVID-19 rescue package worth 10% of GDP”, 21st Apr, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-safrica/southafricasramaphosa-pledges-covid-19-rescue-package-worth-10-of-gdp-idUSKCN22334A.
-
Roets, N. Debt – another side effect of the Coronavirus. Mail and Guardian, 15th Feb 2021. Available https://mg.co.za/special-reports/2021-02-15-debt-another-side-effect-of-thecoronavirus/ (Accessed 7th May 2021).
-
Ryan, C. and GroundUp. Lockdown has Left South Africa drowning in debt. Sunday Times, 20th Aug 2020. Available at https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2020-08-20lockdown-has-left-south-africans-drowning-in-debt/ (Accessed 7th May 2021).
-
Stoddard, E. D. Five Key Factors that will affect South African Economy and your Wallet this year. Daily Maiverick. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-01-10-five-key-factors-that-will-affect-south-africas-economy-and-your-wallet-this-year/ (Accessed 23rd Nov 2021).
-
South African Reserve Bank, “Statement of Monetary Policy Committee: Embargo against Delivery”, July 2020, https://www.resbank.co.za/Lists/News%20and%20Publications/Attachments/10114/MPC%20statement%20July%202020.pdf.
-
Viswanath K., Bekalu, M., Dhawan, D., Pinnamaneni, R., Lang., J. & Rachel McLoud, R. Individual and social determinants of COVID-19 vaccine uptake. BMC Public Health (2021) 21: 818. https://click.endnote.com/viewer?doi=10.1186%2Fs12889-021-10862-1&token=WzMyOTUyMjMsIjEwLjExODYvczEyODg5LTAyMS0xMDg2Mi0xIl0.d9YjdqypIlxmjOlElP3v2FDAkf8.
-
White, R. (2020). Moody’s drops SA’s credit rating to junk status [Online]. EWN. Available: https://ewn.co.za/2020/03/28/moody-s-drops-sa-s-credit-rating-to-junk-status [Accessed 29 May 2020].
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 280 | 105 | 12 |
| Full Text Views | 8 | 4 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 5 | 1 | 0 |
South Africa’s Response to COVID-19: Realities and Challenges of the Vaccination Roll-Out Process
In: The African ReviewAbstract
The paper provides a critical analysis of the South African government’s economic response to the COVID-19 crisis and the current roll-out of vaccinations in South Africa. In preparation for the vaccination roll-out, South Africa set up national strategic committees to facilitate the smooth distribution of the vaccination process. However, despite being one of the first African countries to receive the vaccines, the effective roll-out is still ranked low. The paper used qualitative descriptive analysis to discuss the strategies promoting community understanding and limiting vaccination misinformation. The findings project that the government must deliver an effective and protected vaccine to reduce morbidity and mortality from COVID-19. However, the mere accessibility of a vaccine is not enough to secure extensive immunological security; the immunisation must be accepted by all stakeholders and the public in the country. Vaccine uncertainty is a primary impediment to vaccine acceptance and the achievement of people’s immunity, which is mandatory to protect the marginalised populations in the country. The paper concludes that various strategic efforts made by the South Africa government to deal with the disease and the roll-out of vaccination in responding to COVID-19 remains a significant challenge. It then recommends that there should be a coordinated approach by both government and stakeholders to ensure effective distribution and reduce the COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in the country.
| All Time | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 280 | 105 | 12 |
| Full Text Views | 8 | 4 | 0 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 5 | 1 | 0 |