What are vaccines and how do they work 4

• What is vaccination?
• How do vaccines work?
• What types of COVID-19 vaccines have been developed and how do they work?
• How are vaccines given to people?

Benefits of Vaccines 3

• What are the benefits of getting the COVID-19 vaccine?
• Should I get vaccinated?
• What is “herd immunity”?

Vaccine Safety 12

• Are COVID-19 vaccines safe?
• Are COVID-19 vaccines being tested in South Africa?
• Have clinical trials for the COVID-19 vaccines been rushed?
• What are the side effects of COVID-19 vaccines?
• Can you have an allergic reaction from the vaccine?

See all 12 articles

Vooma Vax Champs 6

• What is Vax Champs?
• What must I do to be a Vax Champ?
• What will I get if I become a Vax Champ?
• How will the Vax Champ programme work?
• I don’t have data for my phone. How can I do this and become a vax champ?

See all 6 articles

Covid-19 Vaccine Side-Effects 8

• Is it normal to have side-effects from vaccines?
• What are some common side-effects of the COVID-19 vaccine?
• What are rare side-effects of the COVID-19 vaccine?
• When to call the doctor
• How long could symptoms or side-effects of COVID-19 vaccination last?

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Reporting Adverse Effects 13

• What is an ‘adverse event’ following immunisation/vaccination?
• What adverse effects can be expected after COVID-19 vaccines?
• Which adverse effects that happen after a COVID-19 vaccine should be reported?
• If an adverse effect happens after a COVID-19 vaccine, who should report it?
• How should an adverse event after immunisation be reported?

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SAHPRA Adverse Events Following Immunization (AEFI) Portal 1

• Where can I find statistics on adverse events from COVID-19 vaccines?

Vaccine roll-out strategy 2

• Who will manage the roll-out of the vaccine for South Africans to be vaccinated?
• Why are certain groups of people being prioritised for vaccination?

Myths and misinformation 7

• How do I know which information is fake news/misinformation?
• Where can I report a myth or source of disinformation or check if it is true?
• I'm worried about getting vaccinated while pregnant or breastfeeding - what should I do?
• Is there a risk to my baby if I vaccinate while breastfeeding?
• Can the Covid-19 vaccine cause infertility?

See all 7 articles

Reliable information sources 4

• Where can I find global information on vaccine safety?
• Where can I get detailed information on the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa?
• Where can I get updated official stats on the vaccination rollout?
• Where else can I get stats on COVID-19 and the vaccination rollout?

Healthcare Workers and Sisonke Study participants 7

• How do I register my site as a vaccination site?
• WhatsApp helpline for health workers
• Where can I find out more about the Sisonke trail with J&J vaccines?
• Sisonke trial: Safety concern or breakthrough infection?
• What do I do if my cell number that I registered with has changed or I have lost my phone?

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Teenage Vaccinations 7

• When does vaccination open for 12-17 year olds?
• What is the procedure for 12-17-year-olds wanting vaccination?
• Which vaccine will 12-17 year olds receive?
• Why should my child get vaccinated?
• How many doses of the vaccine will children need?

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Other countries 1

• What can I do if I have come from another country and received one dose of a vaccine there, which is not used in South Africa?

Health conditions & Immunocompromised 10

• What about immunocompromised individuals? Is the vaccination schedule the same for them?
• How do I register for an additional (extra) vaccination dose if I am immunocompromised?
• If I am immunocompromised, how old must I be to get the additional dose?
• What do I need as an immunocompromised person before I can get the additional dose?
• Which people are considered to be immunocompromised?

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Registration 22

• Will everyone have to register to get the vaccine?
• Where can I register to get the vaccine?
• Can people below the eligible age (currently 12) register on the EVDS?
• Can I register on behalf of someone else on the platform?
• Can I register more than one person on the platform?

See all 22 articles

Medical Aid 6

• How do I register if I am on medical aid but do not have my details/number available?
• I have registered with Discovery. Do I also have to register on the national Electronic Vaccine Data (EVDS) system?
• I have registered with my medical aid. Do I still need to register on the EVDS?
• Can I reschedule my appointment once I’ve made it?
• I am covered by medical aid. Do I have to follow the same process as the public sector?

See all 6 articles

Appointments 4

• My partner has received their appointment for vaccination but I have not. What must I do?
• Can I reschedule my appointment once I’ve made it?
• My vaccination appointment was cancelled. What must I do now?
• What if I decide to walk into a vaccination site?

Vaccination sites 11

• Where are the vaccination sites?
• Will I be able to change the venue or location of my appointment?
• I have a medical condition that prevents me from travelling to the proposed site. What can I do?
• I can’t find the site that I have been allocated to for vaccination when I look it up online?
• I attended the site I was sent to by my appointment SMS but the staff there say they are not administering the vaccine. What should I do?

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Lifestyle Questions 4

• Do I need to take time off work to get vaccinated?
• Do I need to take time off work after being vaccinated?
• Can I drink alcohol after having the COVID-19 vaccine?
• Is it safe to exercise after getting the COVID-19 vaccine?

Vaccination Day 6

• What do I need to bring with me when I go to the vaccination site?
• How should I prepare to get vaccinated?
• Will I have to pay for the vaccine?
• Can I go home immediately after getting the vaccine?
• The vaccination site ran out of vaccines and couldn’t give me my vaccine. What should I do?

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After Vaccination 9

• Will I get proof that I have been vaccinated?
• Will I have side-effects from the vaccine?
• What can I do to relieve the side-effects?
• When should I seek medical help?
• If I have an adverse reaction to the vaccine, who do I contact?

See all 9 articles

Second dose 15

• When should I get my second dose?
• Must I re-register to get my second vaccination?
• After 42 (now 21) days should I just go back to my original vaccination site?
• Will I be vaccinated at the same site as before?
• Can I stop wearing a mask after my second vaccination?

See all 15 articles

Booster doses 8

• When can I get my booster?
• Why should I get a booster COVID-19 vaccine shot?
• Can I get two booster shots?
• I registered in error for an additional dose (immunocompromised), how can I get a general booster?
• I did not receive an SMS reminder or appointment for my booster dose, what can I do?

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Vaccination certificate 12

• Why does my COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate have an expiry date?
• Why are there new versions of the COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate?
• When will the new versions of the COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate become available?
• The COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate website asks for an ID or passport number. Are foreign passports, asylum seeking & refugee numbers accepted?
• What should I do if I lost the EVDS vaccination code that was sent via SMS?

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Lucky Draw (share of R2 million) FAQs 18

• Why a Lucky Draw?
• What prizes can be won?
• How many prizes are there in total?
• Who can win the prize?
• How do I enter the draw?

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Vooma Vouchers 10

• I am younger than 50 years. Why can’t I get a Vooma Voucher too?
• I am fifty years (or older), and have been vaccinated. Can I also get the Vooma Voucher?
• I had one dose of Pfizer. Am I entitled to a Vooma Voucher for my second dose?
• Why are you rewarding people who have not “done the right thing”, like I have?
• Where can I spend my voucher?

See all 10 articles

EVDS issues 2

• I have had one dose of Pfizer vaccine, but I am receiving appointment SMSs from EVDS for dates less than 42 days after my first vaccination
• How do I report fraud or concerns about misuse of identity, vaccination cards or EVDS information?

Escalations 13

• How do I change my email address, mobile number or location/allocated facility
• How do I change my name/surname or date of birth?
• How can I get the system to send me a OTP? The website shows an incorrect mobile number.
• How can I change the vaccine type? I was vaccinated with J&J but the system reads as Pfizer (or vice versa)
• What do I do if the system shows the incorrect date of when I was vaccinated?

See all 13 articles

Risk of infection 4

• What is the COVID Alert SA app?
• Changes to contact tracing, quarantine and isolation protocols
• Why did the Department of Health change the rules for contact tracing, quarantine and isolation?
• How can we contain the spread of COVID-19?

Contact tracing 3

• Will the Department of Health continue to trace close contacts of people that test positive for COVID-19?
• What should I do if I had close contact with someone that tested positive for COVID-19?
• Should I get tested if I had close contact with someone that tested positive for COVID-19?

Quarantine 1

• Do I still need to quarantine if I had close contact with someone that tested positive for COVID-19?

Isolation 5

• Do I still need to isolate if I test positive for COVID-19?
• Should I isolate even if I am vaccinated?
• Should I get tested for COVID-19 after my isolation and before I return to work?
• Can healthcare workers also return to work after isolation?
• What should I do if I do not feel better after I have isolated for seven days?

About COVID-19 10

• What is a coronavirus?
• What is COVID-19?
• What are the symptoms of COVID-19?
• What should I do if I have COVID-19 symptoms and when should I seek medical care?
• How can we protect others and ourselves from being getting COVID-19?

See all 10 articles

International Travel 17

• What health travel documentation do I need to produce when I enter South Africa?
• Is the 72 hours for the negative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test counted from date of sample analysis or from date when the test result was received?
• Can I use a negative antigen test result to enter South Africa?
• Can a test taken before leaving South Africa be used on return if the return date is within 72 hours?
• What screening measures are implemented on arrival into South Africa?

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HWCN Services 3

• Who can access HWCN services?
• What are the HWCN operating hours?
• How does a healthcare worker access help through HWCN?

Eligibility criteria for HWCN services 8

• What if I’m not a doctor or nurse, but I work in a hospital, can I still get help?”
• “What if I need more than 4 probono sessions?”
• “Am I only able to see a therapist? What if I need a Dr?”
• “What if my colleague, who is a healthcare workers, needs the help not me. Can you call them to help?”
• “What if I want to organise a talk or a workshop for my team at the hospital, how do I do that?”

See all 8 articles