Maria and Dexter Dowie were the first residents to be vaccinated in Bishop Lavis on Monday, 31 May 2021, when the day hospital launched its vaccination centre.
The facility previously vaccinated elderly residents in old age homes in their community, but have joined other sites in the Northern and Tygerberg subdistricts to vaccinate people who are 60 years and older at their day hospital.
Mr Dowie, aged 75, shares that he decided to get his jab as many lives have been lost to the Coronavirus.
“At my age, the people I know, they’re not here anymore… they’re not here due to COVID-19. What else can we do? I know many people that have died due to COVID-19, so we have decided to get our injections to protect ourselves. We need to remember COVID-19 is a pandemic. It’s very contagious. With our age group, we pass on quickly. We are positive with COVID-19 today, tomorrow we’re gone. I would encourage other people to register their parents and to get their vaccinations sorted. I know that at least if we do get it, we won’t be as sick as someone without their vaccination. All we will all end up doing is filling up the ICUs at hospitals. We can keep the numbers down.”
Mrs Dowie, aged 71, received her vaccination and has urged members of the public to continue practising safe behaviour before and after vaccination.
“We need to wear our masks for safety. We need to be careful for safety. I also know that we can’t have elderly people around too many people so try to avoid crowds. Be aware of your surroundings.”
The elderly couple was assisted by their son who registered them for vaccination.
“Many people have phones but might not know how to register. Our son helped us, and our daughter is registering people in our community from her phone. So now she needs to tell them when their date is for vaccination,” explained Mr Dowie.
New vaccine sites launched on Monday, 31 May 2021, to serve residents in the Northern and Tygerberg subdistricts.
Bishop Lavis, Ravensmead and Scottsdene Community Day Centres (day hospitals) launched onsite vaccinations on 31 May. Elsies River Community Health Centre will launch its onsite vaccination centre on Thursday, 3 June.
The new sites will join existing vaccination centres in the Northern and Tygerberg subdistricts, which include:
Karl Bremer Hospital
Brackenfell Hall
Bothasig CDC
CCT Adriaanse Clinic
CCT Chesnut Clinic
Delft CHC
Durbanville CDC
Goodwood CDC (old age home outreaches)
Kraaifontein (old age home outreaches)
Reed Street CDC
Stikland Hospital (in-patients, NGO partners and old age home outreaches)
Symphony Way CDC
Areas in the Northern and Tygerberg subdistricts include: Bellville, Bishop Lavis, Belhar, Bothasig, Delft, Durbanville, Elsies River, Goodwood, Kraaifontein, Ravensmead, Ruyterwacht, Reed Street, Scottsdene and Symphony Way.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
In order to receive your vaccination, you will need to register on the Electronic Vaccination Data System (EVDS).
After you have registered, you will receive your first SMS to confirm your registration. A second SMS will follow. We encourage residents to wait for their second SMS before visiting a vaccination site.
While walk-ins at vaccination sites are now permitted, residents who arrive at the vaccine site with their second SMS, which will include their voucher numbers, will be prioritised as they have a booking for the day.
Remember to wear a mask, sanitise your hands regularly and to keep a distance of 1.5 m from others when visiting your vaccination site.
HOW TO REGISTER
We encourage caregivers to support people who are 60 years and older with registration for vaccination.
You can register at no cost by using the USSD service: dial *134*832# from your phone to start the registration process, OR send the word “REGISTER” to 0600 123 456 on WhatsApp OR visit http://vaccine.enroll.health.gov.za. You can also access this link on our website, www.westerncape.gov.za.
If you have any questions or concerns about your vaccination, our call centre is ready to help you. Reach us at 0860 142 142.
Shimoney Regter
Communications Officer
Department of Health
Western Cape Government
Office: 021 815 8885
Cell: 081 342 6687
E-mail: shimoney.regter@westerncape.gov.za
Website: www.westerncape.gov.za