CDC South Africa supports vaccination against COVID-19

Summary

CDC supported South Africa’s national efforts to administer COVID-19 vaccines in schools.
South Africa’s government arranged mass vaccination events in rural areas to make it easier for residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
With help from CDC and other global partners, South Africa established a goal to vaccinate 40 million people against COVID-19 by the end of 2021.

Mountainous landscape Eastern South Africa, one of the places that was hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Home to more than 60 million people, South Africa announced its first case of COVID-19 March 5, 2020 and has since maintained the highest case count on the African continent. CDC has continuously provided technical and financial support to the Government of South Africa by deploying staff with expertise in outbreak response and disease surveillance across the country and supporting the country’s vaccine delivery efforts, alongside partners. Photo credit: Elliot Valdez/CDC

Photo of a sign showing where people in South Africa could get a COVID-19 vaccine.

With help from CDC and other global partners, South Africa established a goal to vaccinate 40 million people against COVID-19 by the end of 2021 through a program of mass vaccination clinics across the country. In this picture, a sign shows people where to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Photo credit: Elliot Valdez/CDC

Photo of people inside a tent outside a school in Eastern Cape Province, South Africa where students received vaccines.

As the science around COVID-19 vaccines progressed and demonstrated safety and efficacy in younger populations, CDC supported South Africa’s national efforts to take vaccine clinics to schools. In this image from the Eastern Cape Province (where there is considerable vaccine hesitancy among youth and young adults), CDC implementing partner, Aurum Institute, set up tents outside school buildings to administer vaccines. More than 65 teens at this school (over 17% of all students at the school) were vaccinated on September 1, 2022. Photo credit: Elliot Valdez/CDC

Photo of a group of students sitting inside a tent outside their school waiting to receive COVID-19 vaccines.

In September 2022 students take turns receiving their CDC-provided COVID-19 vaccine outside Isolomuzi Senior Secondary School in Centani village, Eastern Cape. After an observation period of 15– 20 minutes, they could then return to class and didn’t have to miss much school, since vaccines became available in this convenient location. Photo credit: Hodene Goliath/CDC

Photo of students outside a mobile vaccination clinic set up at their school in Tembisa township, South Africa.

Students from Winnie Mandela Secondary School in Ekurhuleni, South Africa line up to get vaccinated during Phase Three of the national mass vaccination program, which prioritized people ages 18 years or older. The third phase of the mass vaccination program began in November 2021 and ended in February 2022. Photo credit: Nelson Mudau/Aurum Institute

Photo of people lined up outside in Ekurhuleni, South Africa to receive COVID-19 vaccines at a mass vaccination site.

Germiston residents in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg, line up to get vaccinated against COVID-19 after the discovery of the Omicron variant of the virus spread rapidly in November 2021. South African authorities encouraged citizens to get vaccinated to prevent more people from being hospitalized or dying. Photo credit: Nelson Mudau/Aurum Institute

Photo of people waiting in line for a COVID-19 vaccine in March 2022 at Lady Grey Community Hall.

The Aurum Institute, a CDC-funded implementing partner, held a mass vaccination event at Lady Grey Community Hall in Eastern Cape on March 10, 2022. Mass vaccination events like this one help bring services to rural areas making it easier for residents to get vaccinated. Photo credit: Nelson Mudau/Aurum Institute

Photo of student receiving COVID-19 vaccine from a clinician at a school in Eastern Cape, South Africa.

CDC continues to support vaccine delivery efforts in rural areas in the Eastern Cape Province where vaccine uptake has been low, particularly among people younger than 18 years. Seven vaccination teams have been deployed by CDC’s implementing partner, Aurum Institute, to vaccinate young people in the region. On August 31, 2022, a vaccination team visited German Village Primary School and vaccinated 46 students. As of June 2022, 70% of people ages 60 years and older received at least one dose, and 65% of all adults were up to date on vaccinations too. With these groups well covered, the vaccine delivery efforts that CDC supports are now prioritizing young people. Photo credit: Elliot Valdez/CDC

Photo of a clinician demonstrating to a student where to rub the arm to reduce soreness after receiving a vaccine.

A nurse explains to a student from German Village Primary School in Amahlathi Village, Eastern Cape Province, that post vaccination, pain and soreness near the injection site are common occurrences. She demonstrates to the student where to rub the arm to reduce these side effects. Photo credit: Elliot Valdez/CDC

Photo of a vaccination clinic worker safely putting a used needle in a bucket after a COVID-19 shot.

A nurse from Aurum Institute, CDC’s implementing partner, carefully disposes of a used needle after vaccinating a student at Zanethemba Primary School in Amahlathi Village, Eastern Cape, as part of the mass vaccination effort to reach more young people in this province. Photo credit: Elliot Valdez/CDC