Cape Town - There were celebrations at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) on Tuesday, when the vaccination centre administered its 100 000 vaccination.
The CTICC is currently home to one of the Western Cape's largest vaccination centres, after previously operating as one of the province’s largest temporary Covid-19 hospitals.
Since the opening of the ’Vaccination Centre of Hope’ in July, the centre has been administering vaccinations as part of the province’s vaccine rollout.
The vaccination centre is a partnership with the City of Cape Town, the Western Cape government, Discovery Health, and the CTICC, to accelerate the vaccination programme within the province.
There were celebrations on Tuesday, when Marume Alois received the 100 000 vaccination at the CTICC Vaccination Centre of Hope. The moment was caught on video, and shared by Western Cape Premier Alan Winde.
Mr Marume Alois received the
— Premier Alan Winde (@alanwinde) September 28, 2021
100 000 vaccination at the CTICC Vaccination Centre of Hope this afternoon to cheers and applause from the site’s incredible vaccination team. #LetsDoThis pic.twitter.com/cqFrxg66ob
Currently, close to 2 000 citizens are vaccinated each day at the centre.
Previously, Deon Cloete, chairperson of the Cape Town International Convention Centre Company (Convenco) said: “The only way to get ahead of the Covid-19 pandemic is to work together.
“This project started back in March 2021 and came online when our citizens needed it most.
“The CTICC is proud to be part of this equal opportunity effort. Together, we can safeguard our communities and make a difference in many people's lives.”
The @CTICC_Official Vaccination Centre of Hope has now administered over 100 000 vaccines since it opened. Thank you to everyone involved in making this public-private partnership possible #LetsDoThis pic.twitter.com/aBwO8VVj5i
This milestone comes at a time when the province has noted a decreased in vaccinations and has encouraged to get vaccinated now before an “anticipated fourth wave hits in December”.
Provincial health department spokesperson Maret Lesch said: “This is welcome news for many – but we now also must ensure the next most vulnerable group, those 50-59 years old, also get similar vaccination coverage to those aged 60 and older.
“Vaccination remains voluntary, but it is our responsibility to ensure we save as many lives as possible before the end of the year. This is a key period now, between waves, so we can ensure these citizens are vaccinated before the anticipated fourth wave hits in December.”
There is a 42-day interval between first and second Pfizer doses and, therefore, the department has encouraged residents to receive their first dose by October 20 and to receive the second dose, latest, two weeks before Christmas (between December 1 and 11).
It takes about two weeks for one’s immunity to build up maximum protection after the second dose.
Health MEC spokesperson Nomawethu Sbukwana appealed to all residents eligible for the vaccine to go to their nearest vaccination sites to get vaccinated.