Online vaccine registration opens for general public in South Africa

The Department of Health has announced that online vaccine registration is opening for the general public in South Africa on Friday.

From 4pm on 16 April, people aged over 60 years will be able to register on the online EVDS portal.

The announcement was made by Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize in a Zoom presentation and shared on Department of Health social media channels.

“The electronic vaccination data system (EVDS) will be live at 16:00. People over 60 years and above are requested to start registering on #EVDS starting from today in the afternoon,” the department said on 16 April.

The electronic vaccination data system (EVDS) will be live at 16:00. People over 60 years and above are requested to start registering on #EVDS starting from today in the afternoon #vaccines

— Department of Health (@HealthZA) April 16, 2021

The online portal for vaccinations, which previously requested that only health workers register, has since updated its user interface.

Currently, the site asks two questions before beginning your registration: whether you’re a healthcare worker, and whether you’re over 60.

If you are under 60 years old, you will be unable to register on the online portal.

What will I need to register for the vaccine online in South Africa?

According to the SA Government News Agency, there will be no distinction between private and state healthcare users in terms of priority. However, private healthcare users will need to share their medical aid details.

You will also need to provide your ID number, cellphone number, and residential address. These details will be used to register you, assign you a site for vaccination, and communicate the details to you.

You can access the online vaccine portal at vaccine.enroll.health.gov.za.

Once you have registered, you should receive an SMS to confirm that the system has your details.

When an appointment opens up, you will receive an SMS with the date and place where you will receive your dose. The site will either be close to your home or workplace.

Phase Two of the vaccine rollout will begin in May. This phase will prioritise people over 60, people in congregate settings, and people with comorbidities.

However, it is unclear whether the vaccine registration portal requests information regarding comorbidities.

Government has encouraged younger people to help older users register if they struggle with the website.

Editor’s note: We edited the article slightly to make the language clearer regarding the age limit on the registration portal. 

Feature image: Hakan Nural/Unsplash

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